Hicks was vocal about the actions he saw being taken by the police and incorporated their aggressive surveillance of residents into his music. Vallejo police began focusing on the Crest Neighborhood as a source of the crime. The city of Vallejo began experiencing a surge in bank robberies in the early 90s. Hicks recorded his first three EPs as Mac Dre between 19. 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.' When asked about his childhood, Hicks stated that 'Situations came out for the better most of them, I went through the little trials and the shit that I went through.' 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'. In 1989, the outgoing Hicks made waves with a cassette tape featuring the single, 'Too Hard for the F-in' Radio' while still a student at Vallejo's Hogan High School.
He would often frequent the Country Club Crest neighborhood, known locally as The Crest. Andre Louis Hicks was born in Oakland, California on Jto Allen Hickes and Wanda Salvatto.
