Soon after Hicks' slaying, Watkins was summoned to Kansas City's police headquarters for an interview. The character arc of Fat Tone could be viewed as a prime example of what happens when keeping it real, goes wrong. Las Vegas detective Todd Hendrix and his partner came to San Francisco and tracked down Laursen. On the way back to Fresno, the car was pulled over and surrounded by officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as Vallejo police. This is where Mac Dres death becomes the catalyst for the shooting deaths of three people, with two others being given life in prison, effectively losing their lives as well. 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. He was once arrested in the killing of a pregnant woman, although the charges were dropped. "The tragedy of the whole thing is that, assuming (the woman killed in Fairfield) was killed as retribution for being a witness, that's three people dead over a financial matter over an amount of money that wouldn't pay for a weekend in Vegas," said Babcock, who would not elaborate on the alleged dispute except to say that Watkins was not a suspect in Hicks' death. A judge heard arguments over the issue on Friday and continued the matter to Sept. 23 for further discussion. I finally got to the point where I could look at it from that point of view, she says. 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. Antwine and a friend asked them if they wanted to go to a rap concert on the night Mac Dre was murdered, according to the anonymous tip. 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. His brash, violent and honest take on midwest hip-hop captured the ears of his Bay Area contemporaries in a way other Kansas City rappers hadnt. If Dre was alive Id be in a big ass house right now.. He made the men drop everything and then told them to leave. On Friday, October 29, 2004, Dre and several other Bay Area rappers performed a show in Kansas City, Kansas. Once the show was booked, Mac Dre reached out to an old friend in Kansas City to see if he wanted to hang out and provide transportation for his crew over Halloween weekend. Thats how my activism started. Gary Edwin, who performs under the name DJ Fresh, was working as the sound man and DJ for the show that night. Dow is now trying to have his convictions overturned, citing new evidence that a witness who testified against him fabricated his testimony. 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. 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. 2020 Passion Of The Weiss, LLC. Several months later Fat Tone would release a song where he denied having any involvement in Mac Dres murder. For whatever reason, Mac Dre decided to stay in Kansas City that weekend and agreed to perform at a VIP Halloween party at the former Atlantic Star on 95th and Hillcrest on Sunday night. The saga began quietly, in the early morning hours of Nov. 1, 2004, as Hicks rode in a white van driven by a friend through Kansas City. There, he founded his independent label Thizz Entertainment, which is currently managed by his mother Wanda Salvatto. Seventeen people have been killed so far this year compared with 16 at this time last year, Deputy Police Chief Drennon Lindsey said. One of those names was Papoose, who Detective Babcock remembered from his interview with Elijah Taylor, who said Papoose was the nickname of the person seen driving the stolen black Infiniti. Dre was loving, Dre was funny, Dre was a comedian, man. A notorious ecstasy enthusiast, Dre began rapping about the drug and coined the term thizz, a slang word for ecstasy, and he pioneered the hyphy movement. Wide Open 14. 60. r/CaliBanging. He was the one everyone knew about over there.. be sure to follow him on social media @mikeenemigo and fb/thecellblockofficial. Young has been working for DoorDash and Uber Eats as a delivery driver and fears losing her rental car as she has missed payments in the past. Corleone and Laursen had evidently gone back to the Bay Area. We rely on your support to keep POW alive. The 26-year-old friend of Dow also was charged in the deaths of Watkins and Akins. Almost 10 years later, Antwine was murdered in an incident eerily similar to Mac Dres death. Davila is hispanic, with brown eyes and black hair. The KCPD has declined to comment on the documents. He stayed for only 30 minutes, according to Whitmill, before abruptly leaving without performing. His body was found in a light colored Chevy Blazer at the intersection of 73rd and Indiana, near the Noble and Gregory Ridge area of Kansas City, Missouri. In 2013 NPR noted his sound as being "fast and confident" further writing that "he built upon the bouncy bass that had its roots in the funk era. All Rights Reserved. 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. J-Diggs was one of Dres closest friends. Laursen, meanwhile, ended up in the Bay Area, where she lived out of hotels at times and offered her services -- as "Alana" -- over the Craigslist Web site, police say. Mac Dre Fans Also Viewed . Laursen, who came from the small town of Payson near Provo, Utah, might have been turning tricks for Mathis, police said. "[7][bettersourceneeded] Hicks first adopted the stage name MC Dre in 1984, but altered it to Mac Dre the following year because he considered that the name sounded "too East Coast-ish". Mathis' Saturn sedan, which Laursen had been driving, was later found burning in Richmond. He didnt recognize the driver, but assumed it was Papoose, because thats who Hill said hed sold the car too. But it wasn't long before rumors started to fly about a rap war -- and "Fat Tone" Watkins. Mac Dre left only 30 minutes after hed arrived and by the end, Robinson had regretted hosting the event. There was also mud all along the bottom of the vehicle. The violent story, pieced together through interviews and court records, reflects the blurry line between rumor and reality in the world of underground rap. In 2001, at the age of 20, Fat Tone was arrested and charged with the double-homicide of a 19-year-old girl and her unborn child. The front desk clerk would later report seeing four males and three females leave the hotel sometime after 3:30 a.m. Nearly an hour passed before police arrived at the accident. He told detectives that he had to shut off the music multiple times because of people crowding the stage. [15] The trial was later listed among Complex Magazine's 30 Biggest Criminal Trials in Rap History. English. By 2004, Mac Dre was a god in The Bay and respected nationwide. Dow knew Snoop Dogg and appeared on his albums. Mac Dre told Davila he was annoyed because the event wasnt organized and because there were other local rappers performing. One of those informants was Gary Patterson, who told Detective Babcock that he became friends with Davila while they were housed together in 2007. The prosecutor also said that the death would be painless, which defense for Antwine argued was untrue and manipulative to the jury. That friend was Savino Davila, who says he first met Mac Dre in the late 1990s through palling around with Yukmouth. I put that on everything. Once Dre finished the Halloween-night walk-through, he and Thizz artist Major Dubee Norton (there may have been others) got into a white van and left the club; Dubee drove and Dre rode shotgun. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window), gave a tip to KCPD that helped solve the killing of four-year-old Erica Green. Bells lawyers had reached out to detectives saying that their client had information regarding two murders, Mac Dres being one of them. Its all tangled up, Mr. Stinky says. Whitmill hoped that Mac Dre would actually perform instead of just appear, in order to make up losses accrued over the weekend. The Mandalorian, March 1. When he died, a certain momentum was killed with him and he left a void thats still yet to be filled. Despite serving a five-year prison sentence for conspiracy to commit bank robbery, Hicks was no thug, his mother said. He called Whitmill back and told him and then Mac Dre ended up dead. Andre Louis Hicks, better known by his stage name Mac Dre, was an American rapper, hip hop pioneer, and record producer based in Vallejo, California. Fat Tone was a large figure, literally and figuratively. Dre was ultimately sentenced to five years, and on March 12, 1993, he was sent to Lompoc federal prison. I met with Drake in San Francisco we sat down and he talked with me about how Mac Dre impacted his life and his career, what hes doing and the big impact that Mac Dre had when Drake was a young boy, Wanda Mac, Mac Dres mother, says during an interview with allhiphop. He used Mac Dres name to get a little more street cred for his career. 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. Taylor wasnt surprised to be speaking with detectives, having seen the black Infiniti on the news during reports of Mac Dres murder. The tragedy of this thing is that assuming [Laursen] was killed as retribution for being a witness, thats three people dead over a financial matter over an amount of money that wouldnt pay for a weekend in Vegas, says Babcock, the Kansas City detective who cleared Fat Tone of Mac Dres murder. Although Mac Minister maintains his innocence, the judge decided to uphold his life sentence in 2010 after Dows lawyers argued that mistakes were made during trial. 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. This turned out to be a good thing for Dre, as his audience began growing, and mainstream radio began giving him more airtime. He was on his way. He has a lengthy criminal record in Missouri dating back to 1999, when he was first arrested for selling drugs within 1,000 feet of a school in Kansas City. He incorporated his sense of humor into his music, in part by creating characters, such as Ronald Dregan and Thizzelle Washington. He wore a large afro, and big, oversized stunna shades, and he created the Thizz Dance, a funky dance that holds no specific rules. He knew he was onto something so he stopped doing anything dirty. Its not a mystery if you look at the case file.. Piersey was also a fan of the Bay Area hip-hop scene and was willing to accompany Mac Dre whenever he needed a ride. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). He fathered a daughter named Drane. To learn more about Mike and his books, visit thecellblock.net, where you can also follow his blog. In 2015, the KCPD Facebook page interviewed Detective Babcock as part of an officer spotlight series. But its no wonder why the police didnt find the car. With Rob Aston, Jonathan Sway Calloway, Davey D, DJ Quik. According to Mathis' arrest warrant, he later admitted to a friend that he had shot Watkins and Akins to avenge Hicks' killing. He said that Davila had approached him for help writing a letter to detectives. Local crews opened up the show, according to DJ Fresh, including 40 Kal, who introduced Whitmill to the West Coast artists. By clicking Sign Up, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to The Cell BlocksPrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use. Gray grew up in the neighborhood and said he didnt know Mouton. This version of events was meant to take the blame off Davila, while still providing enough answers to hopefully strike a deal to get out of prison early. A dark-colored SUV had been seen speeding away; shortly after, Cowboys Saturn sedan, which Laursen had been driving, turned up burning in Richmond. Andre Louis Hicks (July 5, 1970 November 1, 2004), known by his stage name Mac Dre, was an American rapper from Vallejo, California. Now a resurfaced 2010 interview with Dre's baby mama Lisa Johnson, 53, who raised three girls by the Death Row Records producer single-handedly, reveals the star's two 'secret' daughters LaToya and Ashley Young. 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. Some of these cases can be solved.. The vehicle? Then, according to Davila, the driver of the infiniti side-swiped the van. Now a resurfaced 2010 interview with Dre's baby mama Lisa Johnson, 53 . The limo was gone, but the white van driven by Harold Piersey was there, following behind. The police say that while Mac Dre was getting busy in a local motel with his lady friend, his accomplices were out casing a Fresno bank with plans of a robbery. The victims left arm was slightly across his body and his right arm was out straight, he wrote. He said no, and then they both left. His mother, Wanda Salvatto, said she'd heard about her son's death at least three times before. She knew Antwine and said hed given her rides in the black Infiniti in the month before Mac Dres murder. The 22-year-old friend of Watkins was shot 13 times. The police verbalized that while Hicks was at a motel, his friends were allegedly casing a bank but had changed their mind when they saw a local Fresno TV News van in the bank's parking lot. He and Corleone both pled not guilty and maintain their innocence to this day, but they were each convicted and sentenced to four life sentences for the murders of Fat Tone and Cowboy. Responding officers found shell casings for two separate weapons, multiple 7.62X39 Wolf shell casings, as well as two .45 Caliber spent shell casings. I dont remember the exact details. When Mac Dres friends saw the news crew, they called it off, according to documents provided by the FBI. [14] "She was completely snowed by Mathis. I remember everything about that case, Detective Babcock says. learn more about mike and his books at thecellblock,net, where you can also follow his blog, the official blog of the cell block. Dow remains on the lam, sought on a no-bail warrant issued after the indictment, and may be featured soon on TV's "America's Most Wanted." 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. His 1989 debut EP, Young Black Brotha, is foundational to West Coast hip-hop. Whitmill bet his own money on the success of this concert and worked to lower costs by hiring members of his own family to collect tickets and provide security. Hes a self-described hip-hop head and his lifestyle in the early 2000s closely mirrored the crime-fueled stories present in the genres most popular music. There was a drought, in terms of the Bay Area, says Davey D. I mean, people were putting out records, but it didnt have the national attention that it did [before]. 2. He was 34. But instead of introducing the men to the rap superstar, he and an accomplice allegedly took them to a deserted cul-de-sac and riddled them with bullets from an AK-47. Unlike Davila and Piersey, Whitmill was the only known person with a financial incentive to have Mac Dre show up on time and fulfill his responsibilities. Dre began rapping as a teen in 1984, some say under the name MC Dre, before changing it to Mac Dre in 1985 to represent the player and pimp flavor of his neighborhood, rather than the east coast style of MC. According to fellow Crest-Sider and Dre associate Mac Mall, it all started with Michael Robinson. Michael The Mac Robinson, a rapper with a pimp persona, who both Mac Dre and Mac Malls names pay honor to, was one of the Crests first musical successes who provided the mold for the younger kids in the neighborhood before he was ultimately shot and killed in 1991. DJ Fresh had gotten hired to do the show about a week in advance after receiving a call from a man who introduced himself as Big D. According to Babcocks police report, Fresh later picked Whitmill out of a photo lineup, confirming that he was the promoter that had hired him. He went through a lot.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'passionweiss_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_3',156,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-passionweiss_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); Mac Dres name pays homage to another one of Vallejos musical legends, Michael The Mac Robinson, who was only able to release two EPs under Strictly Business Records, before being shot to death in 1991. 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