Dat Mac Dre American Gangster Episode on BET

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Jan 1, 2006
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Rapper Mac Dre Profiled On BET's American Gangster
June 8th, 2008 | Author: Allen Jacobs
Two years after his untimely death, (the Oakland born, Vallejo raised) Mac Dre [click to read] was recognized as a pioneer for Hyphy music, as rappers such as Mistah FAB, Keak Da Sneak and E-40 struck gold with radio play and major record deals.

Over four years since his murder in Kansas City, Missouri, Mac Dre's story away from music is coming to life on BET's American Gangster series. The veteran rapper was affiliated with The Romper Room, a gang known through Vallejo, California for bank robberies, which led to a five-year prison bid for bank robbery conspiracy, from 1991 to 1996. The episode will chronicle the Northern California gang that was the namesake for early Dre label, Romp Records and the controversial album The Rompilation.

In 2004, Dre's mother, Wanda Salvatto, told The San Francisco Chronicle of her son's misinterpreted legacy, "He wouldn't want his legacy to be that. He got through that and had been living a healthy, clean life. ... He started in the streets, and he got himself out."

After Dre's murder, a series of retaliation murders occurred, leading to numerous charges, including against E-40 and Snoop Dogg affiliate Mac Minister.

The episode will be directed by famed mixtape and DVD host DJ Vlad, who lived in San Francisco, before relocating to New York later in his career. It will air as a part of the series new season. Previous Hip Hop affiliates have included Chaz Williams of Black Hand Entertainment [click to read].

Thizz Entertainment most recently released Dre Area, a compilation tribute to the slain rapper, featuring Mistah FAB, Too Short and Dubee.
That's the only thing I could find... but I don't watch a whole lot of TV,
curious though how they'll portray it
 
Jan 27, 2005
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Friday, June 06, 2008


Upcoming American Gangster Episode (B.E.T.) ft Mac Dre

By Roman Wolfe and Nolan Strong

Well known mixtape DJ Vlad the Butcher will bring the story of Mac Dre and his infamous Romper Room Gang to BET on an upcoming episode of American Gangster, AllHipHop.com has learned.



DJ Vlad, who originally hails from the Bay area, will direct the upcoming episode, which will debut around November as part of BET's new programming block.



The DJ said he became intrigued by The Romper Room Gang's legendary story while shooting his debut documentary, Ghost Ride the Whip, which focuses on The Bay Area, the Hyphy movement and Mac Dre.



"Mac Dre went on one of the robberies cause he wanted to see a girl in Fresno and he stayed in apartment there. He ended getting hit with a conspiracy charge because he refused to rat on his friends and ends up doing years," DJ Vlad told AllHipHop.com. "Thizz Entertainment provided a lot of the footage. With American Gangster, the main thing is access and getting people to talk about what had happened. It's pretty serious subject matter."



Mac Dre, born Andre Hicks, was Bay Area rapper who is considered the creator of the Hyphy and Thizz style's of music.



The rapper put out a controversial compilation titled The Rompilation, which featured a number of rappers.



A track on the album titled "Uninvited" led to Mac Dre's arrest, after the Vallejo Police Department connected lyrics in the song to a string of credit union robberies. ** (see below)



According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, The Romper Room Gang was also responsible for a series of pizza parlor robberies, narcotics sales, vehicle theft, drive-by shootings and other violent acts.



They hit a total of 8 different credit unions and were suspected in 27 more.



The dollar loss from the 35 robberies was in excess of $1.4 million dollars.



Mac Dre and 53 other members of The Romper Room Gang were eventually arrested and Mac Dre himself served six years on a conspiracy to commit bank robbery charge.



The rapper's life came to a violent end in November of 2004, when he was shot and killed on a Kansas, City, Missouri highway, with automatic weapons.



Mac Dre's murder touched off a war in the underworld, which resulted in murder charges for fellow Bay Area rapper Mac Minister, who allegedly murdered two others in retaliation for the killing.



"This [episode] is like 'yeah I ran into banks with guns and ski masks and had shootout with cops.' Because of my experience of directing a movie in the similar vein really helped and the fact that I've been immersed in the Bay Area scene for years."



In addition to Mac Dre, the upcoming season of American Gangster will document the lives of Larry Davis, Monster Cody and J. Edgar Hoover.


http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2008/06/06/20048939.aspx


** The correct song that led to Mac Dre's arrest was "Punk Police" off What's Really Going On?
 
Jul 25, 2007
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"Mac Dre went on one of the robberies cause he wanted to see a girl in Fresno and he stayed in apartment there. He ended getting hit with a conspiracy charge because he refused to rat on his friends and ends up doing years," DJ Vlad told AllHipHop.com.
U mean to tell me Dre got caught up because of a bitch?!