More than 30 shots echoed in the night and yet nobody heard or called anything in until Piersey made it to The Sheraton. This racial disparity is evident when watching A&Es The First 48, a reality television show that follows various homicide detectives in the first two days after a murder. In 2011, Mac Dre received an influx of new fans after Drake gave him a shout out in his hit single, Motto featuring Lil Wayne. When asked if it was frustrating being unable to shut a case after all the work hed done over more than a decade, Detective Babcock said this: I mean, you have the case files, he says. Davila brought Mac Dre to his hotel, where they hung out and listened to music. he specializes in writing about prison, street crime, and how-o books for prisoners and hustlers. Witnesses say they saw Fat Tone arguing with Mac Dre over stage time at the National Guard Armory show on October 29. With Rob Aston, Jonathan Sway Calloway, Davey D, DJ Quik. For a while up, for Id say up to about eight years after he passed, his daughter and I kind of like went into seclusion,Wanda Mac says. During their talk, Mouton said, Dow made vague references to the killings and mentioned a third murder. And like most of the other Bay Area rappers, he had a large fan base in Kansas City, Missouri. This stuck out to Detective Babcock since the vehicle ramming hadnt been information released to the public. While still incarcerated, Mac Dre re-released Young Black Brotha as his debut album in 1993, featuring a number of songs with vocals recorded through a jail phone. When he died, a certain momentum was killed with him and he left a void thats still yet to be filled. Born Andre Hicks on July 5, 1970, in Oakland, California, he was raised in Vallejo, California in the Country Club Crest neighborhood, often called The Crest, or Crest Side by its residents. But Dre had that gangster side, too. In Portland, Seattle, Las Vegas, and all throughout California, Mac Dre had garnered a similar following, earning cult-like status in local hip-hop communities across the West Coast and beyond. [5], Andre Louis Hicks was born in Oakland, California on July 5, 1970, to Allen Hicks and Wanda Salvatto. "Mac Dre"s been dead for eight years, but he has a mother left, nieces left, a daughter," she said. While cleared of wrongdoing by police, prosecutors argued that the rap community believed one of the victims in the double shootingFat Tonewas behind Mac Dres killing. When he was three, he moved 30 minutes north to Vallejo, a city of just over 120,000, famous for having the first United States Navy base on the Pacific Coast. The police subsequently charged him with conspiracy to commit robbery, although no bank robbery was conducted and Hicks was neither with his friends nor near the location of the purported bank. Detectives eventually counted 30 bullet holes on the drivers side of the van, with copper bullets still lodged in two of the holes. 2004 JT The Bigga Figga, Mac Mall & Ray Luv - Black Wall Street Compilation (V2) All On A Bitch. When Mac Dre died everything changed for his family and friends. A culture of distrust exists between the Black community in Kansas City and the majority white police force that has been tasked to protect them. Mac Dres fans, friends, and the Bay Area rap world was devastated. As you know, we were really depressed, really hurt and really traumatized by his death and everything. The witness, Antione Mouton, came forward after Dow reached out to a prosecutor in Boudins office for help. All rights reserved. Though the details are unclear, likely because of hip-hops no snitching policy, its alleged that while at this party, a small argument broke out between Dre and the shows promoter over money. The limo was gone, but the white van driven by Harold Piersey was there, following behind. Mathis' Saturn sedan, which Laursen had been driving, was later found burning in Richmond. [12], On March 26, 1992, at age 21, Hicks was invited by friends to a road trip to Fresno. Bussey said that his client did not wish to provide the sample, saying that Whitmill was afraid that his DNA would be put in a database for comparisons to other crimes. He was really on ecstasy pills and thizzing, says Coolio. If you trace the trail of police reports, you arrive at this summary of the facts: on the night Mac Dre was murdered, he was supposed to do a club appearance. Curating the best of The Standards top-notch reporting, every Saturday. If I thought Tone was responsible for the murder of my folks, I would have cleared him publicly in order to make him comfortable enough to come to Vegas in the first place so I could avenge my folks death. The event he had planned went poorly and he hoped this would make up for it. Dr. Dre, born Andre Romelle Young, was called out by his 38-year-old daughter, LaTanya Young, who is currently living out of her car. Mac Minister was a suspect in the murder of a call girl from Utah named Lee Danae Laurson. "I told him we expected retribution," Babcock recalled. When I was able to tell the families that their loved ones killer had been brought to justice. We were friends, Davila says when I spoke to him in January. Mac Dre is one of the Bay Area's most beloved hip-hop figures of all time. By 2004, Kansas City and The Bay Area shared a mutual affection towards each others burgeoning hip-hop scenes, acting as the conduit to California for fledgling midwest rappers looking to gain access to a portion of the rap community previously unavailable to them. Soon after Hicks' slaying, Watkins was summoned to Kansas City's police headquarters for an interview. For two days, more than 35 officers and FBI agents followed the group as they picked up girls, shopped for shoes, and even bought deodorant from Walmart. Soon, Mathis' Saturn sedan, which Laursen had been driving, turned up burning in Richmond, said Fairfield police Lt. Tony Shipp. It took severalyears for Wanda Mac to deal with her sons passing and his status as a rising rapper who became more famous upon his death. A dark-colored SUV was seen speeding away. He said that Davila had approached him for help writing a letter to detectives. The van's driver crashed and called 911, but Hicks was pronounced dead at the scene from a bullet wound to the neck. She knew Antwine and said hed given her rides in the black Infiniti in the month before Mac Dres murder. At one point, DJ Fresh said he mentioned to Mac Dre that if he told people to get off the stage they might listen to him since they were his fans. That was always the big payoff moment for me as a detective, he says. The van then reportedly swerved across a grass median and four southbound lanes, crashing into a ditch. When Mac Dres friends saw the news crew, they called it off, according to documents provided by the FBI. According to the TV show American Gangster, however, there was an altercation between associates of Dres, and local rapper and thug Fat Tones, though this has not been supported by witnesses. But I dont think he did it.. Gray said Mouton was a federal informant who faced up to 40 years in prison at the time of his testimony in a trafficking case involving a minor. Jailhouse snitches are notoriously unreliable. Antwines father is infamous in Kansas City as the drug dealer and convicted murderer who narrowly avoided the death sentence in 1995 in a case that went all the way to The Supreme Court. 190 East Coast Blocc Crip, 190 is the largest hood in Carson, always have been hated by a lot of hoods & very well known. Hicks is considered one of the movement's key pioneers that fueled its popularity into mainstream, releasing songs . Or maybe Tone was cleared by Diggs and Babcock because he didnt personally pull the trigger, but maybe he had something to do with it, such as send his goon, Cowboy? One of the questions asked what his most memorable moments as a homicide detective were? The Kansas City rapper, 24, was shot 20 times. He didnt recognize the driver, but assumed it was Papoose, because thats who Hill said hed sold the car too. In March 2006, Bell told detectives that Antwine and Smith had been bragging about the murder, saying that Smith had told him that hed been paid $10,000 to perform the hit. The 34-year-old Vallejo resident, who made more than 20 underground albums, was killed Nov. 1, 2004, during a trip to Kansas City, where he was performing. In the years after Mac Dres murder, Detective Babcock began to hear rumors that Damon Whitmill, the promoter who paid to fly Mac Dre to Kansas City, might have also paid to have him murdered. [1] He was an instrumental figure in the emergence of hyphy, a cultural movement in the Bay Area hip hop scene that emerged in the early 2000s. It was clear they were firing from inside the vehicle by the way the metal from the car door curled outward. To my knowledge MD was never married, but he definitely has a daughter; that implies that he was likely close to the daughter's mom at one point in his life, however, I can't find anything about her mom with a quick Google search, and we can't really be sure how close they really were - really not unheard of for famous or rising (in MD's case) Smith was also mentioned as having been seen with Antwine in the black Infiniti numerous times in the months leading up to the murder. Mac Dre and Suga Wolf recorded a song with him for his 2002 album, Only in Killa City, titled Cut Throatz. They were friends and they stayed in touch enough for Fat Tone to know that Mac Dre was coming to town for Halloween weekend. He was 34. He later appealed his sentence, saying that prosecutors unfairly argued that putting him to death would be cheaper to taxpayers than housing him on death row. Meanwhile, another car -- a white Pontiac Sunfire -- was spotted speeding away from the scene. A totaled, white Dodge Legacy van was found on an embankment below Highway 71. On top of that, Mac Dres crew of over 20 people rushed the stage mid-show, creating a security concern, and causing everything to get shut down. He was the center of his community; a guiding light that acted as a beacon for those closest to him. Taylor wasnt surprised to be speaking with detectives, having seen the black Infiniti on the news during reports of Mac Dres murder. When he arrived and unlocked the door, he discovered a group of men were standing in the center of the room, rifling through a suitcase. I saw a JT the bigga figga interview where he was saying he got mac dre daughter home . Despite the title of the song, it was a hit on local radio. His father was murdered when he was just a kid. Here are the main Damu & Crips in Carson/Barson. Bell told detectives hes not sure what to believe, considering that everyone said that they had something to do with the murder at some point. He died on Halloween night and I was throwing a Halloween party the night before and what makes it even crazier is that Fat Tone shows up to my party and gets into a fight with someone later that night. His 1989 debut EP, Young Black Brotha, is foundational to West Coast hip-hop. He collaborated with E-40 on the song "Dredio." Mac Dre Popularity . However, police still felt they had enough evidence to pull Mac Dre and friends over and charge the crew with conspiracy to commit bank robbery. Bay Area rapper Mac Dre began his career at 18 and quickly became an influential force in early west coast hip-hop. Antwine is no stranger to the legal system himself. This is an excerpt from a court opinion published in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit describing what happened next: Five or ten minutes later, an officer heard some yelling and looked into the holding cell to find George lying face down on the floor, bleeding from the nose and mouth, and Antwine sitting on a bench a few feet away. The victims left arm was slightly across his body and his right arm was out straight, he wrote. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. He said he knows how it sounds, but thats what happened. Cowboy had been shot about 13 times by the same gun and laid a few feet from the car. Theyd been spotted by KCPD in a stolen van near 59th Street and Blue Hills Road, and had attempted to evade police by jumping out and hiding in a nearby backyard. When the detective asked for a third time if Whitmill made any money on the first show, he once again changed his story, saying that he did pretty well, profiting nearly $6,000. Vallejo rapper Andre "Mac Dre" Hicks wasn't on MTV, on magazine covers or in movies. He said no, and then they both left. While there, he recorded raps over the Fresno county jail telephone, where he taunted law enforcement. Laursen, who came from the small town of Payson near Provo, Utah, might have been turning tricks for Mathis, police said. She'd been shot in the head two days after Dow and Mathis were indicted, authorities said. But its no wonder why the police didnt find the car. Detectives then showed Taylor three photo line ups. Detectives were later told that just before the murder, Mac Dre had been waiting to meet up with Whitmill to receive his final payment but Whitmill never showed. Corleone said he shot Watkins, then chased Atkins into the street and shot him while he was on the ground pleading for his life, the warrant alleged. Less than a month later, on March 26, Mac Dre was arrested for conspiracy to rob a bank. For legal purposes, Im not sure what to say. I never discussed anything with anybody at Leavenworth. He wanted me to get into music.. The case was highlighted in an episode of Unsolved Mysteries from March 4, 1992, where police said they believed the men belonged to a local gang called The Romper Room Crew. Dozens of tips recorded by KCPD feature some variation of Fat Tone and Mac Dre getting into an altercation. By clicking Sign Up, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to The Cell BlocksPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use. Hes a Kansas City native and allegedly a small-time drug dealer, according to witnesses and informants who spoke with Detective Babcock in the months following Mac Dres death. But Davila spoke with more people than just jailhouse snitches and in 2008, he shared a version of events with Detective Babcock that could have solved this case more than a decade ago had he decided to follow through with his statement. In October of 2004, a Kansas City man named Damon Whitmill hoped to capitalize on Mac Dres popularity by bankrolling and promoting a rap show at what was then the Kansas City National Guard Armory. Thats just what they do. Another informant from Leavenworth shared a similar story with Detective Babcock. Police said the car crash happened as a result of the victim attempting to flee a shooting. Most Popular #19016. "She was completely snowed by Mathis. P.O.P. According to Fat Tone, hed hung out with Mac Dre and friends at a hotel the day after they arrived in Kansas City. Or did he clear him publicly, but perhaps not privately, amongst his comrades? "She wouldn't stand for it," Hendrix said. While most of Dres Bay Area rap associates left Kansas City the next day, Dre stayed because he had booked a walk-through at a club for the following night, October 31Halloween. Mike Enemigo is Americans #1 incarcerated author, with over 25 books published and many more on the way. Laursens dad claims she was forced into prostitution by Corleone, who, according to reports, would escort her into various Las Vegas hotels hiding an AK-47 under his clothing. The father had rescued his daughter once, in March or April, but she voluntarily returned to Corleone in Vegas shortly after. And now, as I travel throughout the world, I see people recognize him for the flavor that he brought to hip-hop. Little youngsters between the age of fourteen and twenty-one. Then, according to Davila, the driver of the infiniti side-swiped the van. According to the police reports, Davila told Patterson that on the night of the murder, he was with Mac Dre at the Atlantic Star. During the past few months, Minister had befriended Fat Tone, who, by now, J-Diggs had publicly cleared in the murder of Mac Dre, promising to help him with his rap career by introducing him to various rappers and other VIPs in the rap game. During the police interview, Thibeaux also says that Whitmill made a concerted effort to spread rumors that Kansas City rapper Fat Tone had been responsible for the killing, even though Whitmill knew he was innocent. This was a pure fabrication.. When they finally left, Mac Dre got in the back of the van and instructed Piersey to drive them to his hotel. However, police pulled them over two hours later on a deserted stretch of road near Los Baos. From here, what exactly happens is unknown, but roughly 80 minutes later, a security guard patrolling a housing development under construction about five blocks from the house Corleone was renting, found Fat Tone and Cowboy, dead. First Name Mac #5. (Despite multiple attempts to reach out, Piersey could not be found for comment). At the same time, police were looking for the culprits in a string of robberies that targeted Vallejo pizza shops. Suspecting the crew, police kept them under surveillance. In 1992 he was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank robbery when his lyrics were used against him in court. I couldnt do it. When paramedics arrived, however, Dre was dead, reportedly from a gunshot wound to the neck. Almost 10 years later, Antwine was murdered in an incident eerily similar to Mac Dres death. A San Francisco rapper imprisoned for killing two men in retaliation for the slaying of hip-hop legend Mac Dre is seeking his release based on new evidence uncovered by the office of District Attorney Chesa Boudin. His story completely changed in 2008, after he was arrested for drug conspiracy and looking at 30 years in prison. He was instrumental in the emergence of hyphy, a cultural movement in the Bay Area hip hop scene that emerged in the early 2000s. He was named to the position in 2020 by Boudin, a progressive prosecutor who lost his seat in a contentious recall election earlier this week. He stayed for only 30 minutes, according to Whitmill, before abruptly leaving without performing. Mac Dre was one of the first rappers unfairly targeted and prosecuted for crimes they never committed. After dropping his first three albums, between 1989 and 1991, Dres career began to pick up the pace. Born and raised in Kansas City, Davila shared a close relationship with local hip-hop artists and was a regular at shows and studio sessions around town. He was also the founder of both Thizz Entertainment and Romp. Two days later, a 21-year-old call girl who was in Las Vegas with them turned up dead in Fairfield, shot in the head. [22] He was given a public open-casket viewing, and then buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. There was also mud all along the bottom of the vehicle. On the first day, according to surveillance notes, the group cased a Bank of America in downtown Fresno by driving around the block in circles. Las Vegas detective Todd Hendrix and his partner came to San Francisco and tracked down Laursen. [2] As the founder of the independent record label Thizz Entertainment, Hicks recorded dozens of albums and gave aspiring rappers an outlet to release albums locally. In early October, he started a production company named Honeybear Productions, and enlisted the help of Kansas City rapper 40 Kal, who introduced the Bay Area artists to Whitmill. Whitmill called off the limousine service and called Davila to see where Mac Dre was. Davila wanted to give detectives info about the murder without implicating himself. Mr. Stinky said this incident helped lend credence to the numerous rumors that Fat Tone had gotten into a confrontation with Mac Dre that weekend, even though he says it never happened. Ghetto Stardom 11. Following Mac Dre's murder in 2004, Wanda Salvatto described how she and his daughter went into seclusion to mourn privately, but his increased popularity and fame made the healing process . In 1992, after a surge of local business and bank robberies began taking place by a crew referring to themselves as The Romper Room Gang, knowing Dres affiliation with the crew, police began dissecting his lyrics, hoping to find clues to the robberies. 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