Obviously, it’s devastating losing a child: He was young, and it was a tragedy. Great artist take that, shape it, then turn it into something new. Bay Area rapper Mac Dre began his career at 18 and quickly became an influential force in early west coast hip-hop. Someone literally just came with a little 8-track recorder and put it up against the receiver on the telephone in the visitors widow at the jail and played a beat and he rapped over it from the other side of the glass. Obviously, his music was so ahead of his time. Video documentary: Mac Dre (as Andre Hicks) Archive Footage . For a while, she kind of shut people out, and it was Drake who said, “You know, you should share with the world. In 1989 Andre Louis Hicks performed the song "Too Hard for da Fuckin' Radio" at the James Hogan High School talent show. Print. It was them who convinced me to work on the project.        Â. SFW: I also loved how you started the movie talking about the black roots of the  Bay Area’s history. They would do anything for one another, they would ride together and die together. "The Gift" is a candid documentary of provoking players talking provoking game. ZB: Yeah, that is very much still going on, rappers being prosecuted for their lyrics. It was them who convinced me to work on the project. A documentary about the "hyphy movement" that took place after Mac Dre's death. The respect gave him some leeway to experiment with style and image. The Mac Dre style really starts when he gets out of prison and starts going to raves. He grew up on him, and he talks about him on “The Motto.”. We all just went, “Wow, that’s a good question.” Everybody went around and gave their own ideas about it, then someone in the audience said, “I think what this says is that he had such a personal charisma and magmatism, that everybody who met him has a Mac Dre story. Don’t hold this in. Look out for more on Mac Dre in Part 2 of our exclusive interview with Mac Dreโ€™s mother, Mac Wanda later this week. Share it with people.” It definitely changed her perspective. Understandably, it’s not something she likes to talk about that much. However, before he could reach that audience, Mac Dre needed money, which is where his gang, the Romper Room came in. I have kind of a roundabout way to getting to Mac Dre. Last August, Daisy Coleman, 23, the rape survivor featured in the Netflix documentary Audrie & Daisy, was found dead by suicide in her home. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. What he started with Thizz, blending EDM and hip-hop, well, that’s what everything is now, right? With Rob Aston, Davey D, DJ Quik, Mac Dre. Don’t hold this in. (2015). We've curated a list of lesser-known films to help you explore the space-time continuum from the comfort of your couch. Rap Legend Mac Dre is convicted of conspiracy to commit bank robbery after his lyrics are used against him in court. Use the HTML below. Created with the help of Mac Dre’s mother, Wanda Salvatto, Butler used old VHS footage of Dre, as well as interviews with Dre’s friends and people he had influenced, including  E-40, Wiz Khalifa, Tech N9ne, and Warren, to paint a portrait of the truly unique artist whose influence in music and culture will be felt for years to come. Mac Dre: Legend of the Bay A family bond nobody could break. Mac Dre, the Oakland rapper whose goofy demeanor and Bay-Area raps hold a special place in his fans' hearts, may be showing up at Coachella โ€” from the grave. ZB: Yeah, exactly. Kicks (2016) as Soundtrack. Share it with people.” It definitely changed her perspective. People don’t talk about Hammer when they talk about The Bay. It’s been 12 years since Mac Dre’s untimely passing, but the Oakland-born rapper and producer — famous for coining the phrase “feeling myself” and introducing the world to the thizzle dance —  is still very much a legend in the Bay Area. He’s got music that when you put it on today, it sounds like it came out today. Thu, Feb 18, 2016 at 10:36 AM. Obviously, it’s devastating losing a child: He was young, and it was a tragedy. It premiered at the San Francisco Black Film Festival, and it actually won the Audience Choice Award. With Mac Dre, Equipto, Suga Free, Brotha Lynch Hung. Obviously, his music was so ahead of his time.  But this is not intended to be the final piece on Mac Dre’s life, it’s intended to keep his legacy going. ?’ And put him on trial for that?” No one ever would think that, but a 19-year-old black kid from Vallejo, there’s no understanding that he may be taking artistic license here. Ranked at the top of the Forbes rich list in 2014, Andre Romelle Young, aka Dr. Dre is set to become one of the first hip-hop billionaires in the world! In 1992 he was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank robbery when his ... View production, box office, & company info. ZB: Yes. I had never worked on a documentary before, and they were like, “No, no, we can tell just by talking to you, you’ve got the right attitude for this, even if you don’t have the experience.”, SFW: I read somewhere that Drake was actually integral in convincing Wanda to be a part of the documentary? A documentary about the "hyphy movement" that took place after Mac Dre's death. The Best of Mac Dre (2002) The Best of Mac Dre II (2004) The Best of Mac Dre Vol. Documentary. SFW: It explains a lot about why a lot of Bay Area rap doesn’t sound like gangster rap from L.A., or club rap from Atlanta. That’s what artists should do, and just because it’s in a song doesn’t mean it happened personally.Of course, there’s a pretty ugly element of racism in these cases. I have a lot of friends who are art historians and I wanted to approach this doc like  any serious historian would approach any other artist’s work. ZB: When we did a screening, and there was a Q & A afterward, someone asked this same question. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Where does the story begin? Bay Area rapper Mac Dre began his career at 18 and quickly became an influential force in early west coast hip-hop. I have kind of a roundabout way to getting to Mac Dre. That’s what artists should do, and just because it’s in a song doesn’t mean it happened personally.Of course, there’s a pretty ugly element of racism in these cases. SFW: Have you had a chance to screen the movie in the Bay? This is a truly amazing story about crime, success, and the loss of a true legend in the rap world and entertainment industry. I went to a small art school in Alabama.It was a weird art and music college, and I was playing in a couple of bands at the time, and I was really into underground hip-hop, especially what was going on in Atlanta. In 1992 he was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank robbery when his lyrics were used against him in court. The art is affected by where it came from. The Gift (2005) as Mac Dre. From acclaimed producer/director Peter Spirer (Rhyme & Reason, Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel, BEEF 1-3) comes the first film to ever capture the energy and danger of hyphy, the Hip Hop youth movement exploding out of the San Francisco Bay Area. Now, however, Thizz Entertainment โ€” Mac Dre's former label that manages his estate โ€” is releasing a documentary about the late artist: Mac Dre: Legend of the Bay. Add to Wishlist. ?’ And put him on trial for that?” No one ever would think that, but a 19-year-old black kid from Vallejo, there’s no understanding that he may be taking artistic license here. I had never worked on a documentary before, and they were like, “No, no, we can tell just by talking to you, you’ve got the right attitude for this, even if you don’t have the experience.”, ZB: That was before I became a part of it, so I can’t give you the whole story on it, but I can tell you that people associate Mac Dre with the Bay so hard, that they forget that he has fans all over the world, and Drake was one of those fans. Close. When he met her he was thrilled apparently. When Mike was talking to her, she said that she had an old VHS home recording of the first performance Mac Dre ever did at the Hogan High School talent show in 1998, and we were like, ‘People need to see that!’ Then, Wanda told us that she had even more old VHS tapes of all sorts of footage of Mac Dre: behind the scene concert footage, them going on vacations, hanging out in hotel rooms, stuff like that. Mac Dreโ€™s Legacy Lives on in New Documentary Film by Sam Ribakoff โ€ข 09/21/2016 10:52 am Itโ€™s been 12 years since Mac Dreโ€™s untimely passing, but the Oakland-born rapper and producer โ€” famous for coining the phrase โ€œfeeling myselfโ€ and introducing the world to the thizzle dance โ€” is still very much a legend in the Bay Area. ZB: [Laughs] Yeah, that’s true.       Â. SF Weekly: How did Legend of The Bay come together? (2005) as Burton Ernie. He's got a compilation (The Rompalation) out now and in โ€ฆ Is there a โ€ฆ ZB: Absolutely. Although this teaser is really short, what can you tell us about the documentary process? ?” and that led us to Mac Dre and Keak da Sneak, and the whole Bay Area movement. ZB: That was actually the earliest pitch for the documentary. The hyphy movement started kicking off about when I was in college, and it was just stuff that got passed around. In honor of the hyphy legend who introduced the world to a form of rap that was both playful and hard hitting, director Zachary Butler created the documentary, Mac Dre: Legend of The Bay. Â. He’s got music that when you put it on today, it sounds like it came out today. He took me to a house party.’ You know?” When he touched someone’s life, you came away with a story, and some people are telling those stories years later. Directed by Shane Mario Ruggieri. ZB:Yeah! For a while, she kind of shut people out, and it was Drake who said, “You know, you should share with the world. Tags: Mac Dre, rap, hip-hop, Vallejo , โ€ฆ I think most people will agree it’s not his best work, but I think the message of “I’m just going to keep going” is more important than the content of that album. . Tweet. This documentary covers his young life, the birth of his career, as well as Mac Dre being convicted of conspiracy to rob banks partially because of the lyrics in his song โ€œPunk Policeโ€ and the rise of his record company, Thizz, and his unfortunate murder on the streets of Kansas City on the night of Nov. 1, 2004. SFW: And has Wanda in the video to it. It wasn’t just that he shook their hand, it’s like, ‘He grabbed me and took me on an adventure. Other people had approached her about it, but she never really felt comfortable. 30. Sorry! 3 (2006) Everybody Ain't Able with Jay Tee (2007) The Best of Mac Dre Vol. I have a lot of friends who are art historians and I wanted to approach this doc like  any serious historian would approach any other artist’s work. Directed by Zachary Butler. The respect gave him some leeway to experiment with style and image. When he met her he was thrilled apparently. SFW: What was your relationship to Mac Dre and his music before you started making the documentary? Interviewing famous Bay Area rappers like E-40, Mistah F.A.B., Keak Da Sneak and the late Mac Dre, the documentary explores the origins of the practice and the eternal appeal of courting danger. The hyphy movement started kicking off about when I was in college, and it was just stuff that got passed around. nd how did that art affect the community that it emerged from?” That sounds really weighty and academic, but I think if you treat it like you would a Picasso painting, all of this stuff emerges that maybe people didn’t think about before. Da U.S. Open with Mac Mall (2005) A Tale of Two Andres with Andre Nickatina (2008) Compilation albums. Title Year Status Character; Mac Dre: Legend of the Bay: 2015: Documentary: Himself: Ghostride the Whip: 2008: Video documentary: Himself: Looks like we don't have awards information. In โ€ฆ And how did the place that it comes from affect the art? This FAQ is empty. 81. So the process for me was taking that footage, and using it with some talking head interviews with artist who knew him, and other friends and family members, and use those pieces to help tell his story. โ€œRest in peace Mac Dre / Imma do it for the Bayโ€ is what Drake rapped on his 2011 hit โ€œThe Mottoโ€.      Â. ZB: That was actually the earliest pitch for the documentary. When Mike was talking to her, she said that she had an old VHS home recording of the first performance Mac Dre ever did at the Hogan High School talent show in 1998, and we were like, ‘People need to see that!’ Then, Wanda told us that she had even more old VHS tapes of all sorts of footage of Mac Dre: behind the scene concert footage, them going on vacations, hanging out in hotel rooms, stuff like that. It’s kind of cool to give people the platform to organize their own events. The Mac Dre style really starts when he gets out of prison and starts going to raves. Great documentary called Ghostride the Whip narrated by Sway Calloway. Bay Area rapper Mac Dre began his career at 18 and quickly became an influential force in early west coast hip-hop. SFW: Do you know when Dre  transitioned  from the Hammer look to the pimp look? We are partnered with a new platform called Tugg that let’s people crowdsource theatrical screenings, so if you and 20 friends want to see the movie in local theaters, they’ll contact that theater and set up the screening. Everything is an electronic dance beat with someone rapping over it. A stylistic innovator and staunch proponent of individuality, he became a symbol of unapologetic self-expression as well as regional pride after his untimely death in 2004. Title Year Status Character; Mac Dre: Legend of the Bay: 2015: Documentary: Himself: Ghostride the Whip: 2008: Video documentary: Himself: Known for movies. For the first time ever, his mother Wanda reveals the true experiences of a hip-hop legend. Shamann Walton Elected Board President, Savage Love: Cooped Up, Going Nowhere & Coming Never, Protections for Employees During COVID-19, Top 12 Psychic Predictions for 2021 (Shocking REVEALED), 35+ Free Psychic Readings Online: A List of Every Free Reading Available by Phone, Chat, and App. ZB: Yeah, exactly. He left prison with a new lease on life, founded an independent record company, and then was murdered just when he began to emerge as a star. We all just went, “Wow, that’s a good question.” Everybody went around and gave their own ideas about it, then someone in the audience said, “I think what this says is that he had such a personal charisma and magmatism, that everybody who met him has a Mac Dre story. Video documentary: Mac Dre (as Andre Hicks) Archive Footage Archive Footage.  The 90-minute film premiered in 2015 at the San Francisco Black Film Festival, and is now available for streaming on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Instant Video, or on the film’s website. Really, things started when Michael Riser, who’s an executive producer, [met] through some people at Thizz Entertainment, Mac Dre’s mother, and they had been kicking around the idea of a Mac Dre doc before. 5 (2010) Other albums Most people first meet me, and see that I’m this nerdy, skinny white kid from Alabama, and go “Huh, how did this happen?” [Laughs] Though I’m always surprised that none of the rappers or artist that I talk to are ever surprised. In honor of the hyphy legend who introduced the world to a form of rap that was both playful and hard hitting, director Zachary Butler created the documentary,  The 90-minute film premiered in 2015 at the San Francisco Black Film Festival, and is now available for streaming on iT. Cutting Room! ZB: [Laughs] Yeah, that’s true. Like, ‘Oh my God! I think she feels reinvigorated having it out there. A new documentary about the late Mac Dre has been officially released and the Bay Area legendโ€™s mother credits Drake with inspiring her to get it made. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? SFW: An amazing piece of footage you found is Dre performing for the first time at Hogan High School, where he looks like MC Hammer. It’s a little bit more politically involved. Pepper years. So, when I moved to Los Angeles a few years ago, and met Mike Risner, and the guys from Thizz Entertainment, I was already a fan. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. I think it ultimately comes down to who he was as a person. Pepper years. my man justin lomax went all out to feature you the best the bay has to offer in 21309. with interviews from people like mac dre, mac mall, & yukmouth, this is a must for anyone who likes the sideshow action and all the great rappers from the bay area. So the process for me was taking that footage, and using it with some talking head interviews with artist who knew him, and other friends and family members, and use those pieces to help tell his story. It premiered at the San Francisco Black Film Festival, and it actually won the Audience Choice Award. I went to a small art school in Alabama.It was a weird art and music college, and I was playing in a couple of bands at the time, and I was really into underground hip-hop, especially what was going on in Atlanta. Late rap heavyweight Mac Dre is widely regarded as a pioneer of the early-2000s Bay Area hip-hop subgenre and culture known as โ€œhyphy.โ€ โ€ข He was originally known as MC Dre, but he felt the โ€œMCโ€ made him sound like an East Coast rapper. He had such credibility from going to prison and not telling on his friends that when he came back and started dressing like that, no one could make fun of him. Posted by. And how did the place that it comes from affect the art? I think it ultimately comes down to who he was as a person. My roommate was listening to E-40 one day, and I was like, “What is going on! peep this for sure and also pick up mac โ€ฆ Email. Get the feature film Mac Dre: Legend of the Bay plus the complete video of the performance that started it all. Who did you interview? Someone literally just came with a little 8-track recorder and put it up against the receiver on the telephone in the visitors widow at the jail and played a beat and he rapped over it from the other side of the glass. New Legend of The Bay The Life of Mac Dre Documentary! Archived. A new documentary about the late Mac Dre has just been released, and the Bay Area legend's mother credits Drake with inspiring her to get it made. ZB: Absolutely. SFW: A decent chunk of the movie is actually given over to talking about Dre being prosecuted for “conspiracy to commit robbery,” and the prosecutors using Dre’s lyrics to his songs as “evidence” to indict to indict him. Great artist take that, shape it, then turn it into something new. An artist’s work is allowed to describe the world they see around them and construct scenarios that maybe are violent and make people uncomfortable. Please Consider Disabling Your Ad Blocker, Sup. He took me to a house party.’ You know?” When he touched someone’s life, you came away with a story, and some people are telling those stories years later. I met with Wanda before and she had talked to a number of other people about doing the doc, but she wasn’t comfortable with it, and I purposed introducing Mac Dre’s story by talking about history. We are partnered with a new platform called Tugg that let’s people crowdsource theatrical screenings, so if you and 20 friends want to see the movie in local theaters, they’ll contact that theater and set up the screening. It's my goal to one day be able to play a part to either finance or write a full-length film on Mac Dre and what he created in the Bay and beyond.