Career
Mac Dre's music gained popularity in the early to mid 1990s throughout the Bay Area, eventually receiving national recognition through his independent record labels Romp and Thizz Entertainment. He released many hit singles, such as "Too Hard for the Radio", and most recently "Feelin' Myself". He was the creator of the "Thizzle Dance", a popular dance which holds no specific standard. Hardship and controversy were staples of Mac Dre's career. After recording his first three albums between 1989 and 1991, Mac was charged with conspiracy to commit bank robbery. His record label, Romp Productions, and his many references to "Romper Room" in his songs, coincided with a Vallejo robbery gang of the time calling themselves the "Romper Room Gang" and responsible for the robberies of many area banks and pizza parlours. Hicks was alleged to be a member of the gang. The rapper was sentenced to five years in prison in 1992.
In prison, Hicks gained some notoriety by recording the lyrics to songs directly over the Fresno County jail inmate telephone. His album, Young Black Brotha, was a result of such efforts, as well as guest appearances on fellow artists' songs, all while Hicks was still imprisoned. A later album, Back 'N Da Hood, was also made up of these prison-recorded songs.
After his release from prison in 1996, Mac Dre began releasing albums steadily, building pace in the early 21st century. Mac Dre's audience was growing, and mainstream hip-hop stations were beginning to give Hicks' music more airtime. Hicks relocated to Sacramento, California in 2001, where he began a label, Thizz Entertainment.
Death
On November 1, 2004, Mac Dre was shot to death while returning to his hotel after a performance in Kansas city. A car pulled up next to the white van carrying Dre along with other Thizz artists. Whether words where exchanged or not, the ordeal ended in the bloodshed of a bay area rap legend. The van swerved off the road and into a ravine where it ran into a tree. Word is that Dre was thrown from the van, but officials say they found him in the front seat, dead on arrival. Some believe that Mac Dre's killer was Kansas City rapper Anthony "Fat Tone" Watkins. In 2005 Watkins was murdered, allegedly by Bay Area rapper Mac Minister. In March 2006, Mac Minister was arrested by FBI officials.
Cal Bear
Mac Dre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drizzle, California Hot Boy makin' it sizzle
Yadadadada
[Verse 1]
I'm a roper smoker, love to yoke a, chevy when I'm ripter
Used to post up on the block with dope I got from Victor
I go nuts, do donuts when I'm full of that liquor
My thang thang got twisters, two sets like sisters
Davins, and choppers there's no stoppin Mister
A California Bear, all up in your ear
While I'm playing with your hair, bitch I'm a player
It ain't fair, niggaz like me is rare
Hard to find, you might not find one like me anywhere
You can search tall trees, the bottom of the seas
Nigga please, they don't make them like these
Huh what you say, you gone do what?
I murder, get further, in my coughnut
Geeks I chew up, in the streets I grew up
I run with niggaz that'll peel a nigga for a few bucks
I'm sewing thangs up, got the game on lock
Give you an E for effort, but it ain't no knock
Man this thang don't stop, I'm all night like Denny's
I'm countin' thow-wows while you scrapin' for pennies
I'm tight like two hemmies, dope like two gremmies
Put a dub in the blunt cause I don't like them skinny
Mafia like Benny, I offer ya some remy
Playboy, from the bay boy
I sav lav, ya hear me?
In Mac Dre's song "Cal Bear," he starts off by introducing himself as the California Hot Boy and boasting about his skills as a weed smoker and a car driver. He reminisces about his past experiences of selling drugs on the block and making money from prostitution, while continuing to emphasize that he is a player and an extraordinary individual. He indicates that he is a California Bear and makes a reference to playing with a woman's hair. He then continues to assert that he is unique and hard to find among other individuals, expressing this through a comparison to searching for someone in tall trees or at the bottom of the sea. Finally, he concludes by mentioning his loyalty to the Mafia and offering a drink of Remy to someone he calls a Playboy from the Bay.
The song "Cal Bear" is representative of Mac Dre's style of music, which was often associated with the Hyphy movement in the early 2000s. The term "Hyphy" is a mixture of the words "hype" and "fly," and it was used to describe a style of music and dance that originated from the Bay Area. As such, "Cal Bear" is marked by its catchy beats, fast rhymes, and the use of slang that is characteristic of the San Francisco region.
Line by Line Meaning
Whaaaa...
General expression of excitement or enthusiasm.
Drizzle, California Hot Boy makin' it sizzle
Mac Dre, a California rapper, is bringing the heat to his music scene with the bars he spits.
Yadadadada
Once again, general expression of excitement or enthusiasm.
I'm a roper smoker, love to yoke a, chevy when I'm ripter
Mac Dre enjoys smoking weed and driving a Chevy while he's high.
Used to post up on the block with dope I got from Victor
Mac Dre used to sell drugs on the block and got his supply of drugs from a person named Victor.
I go nuts, do donuts when I'm full of that liquor
When Mac Dre is drunk he likes to do donuts with his car, which is spinning his car in circles.
Get hoe bucks man so much I ran game and pimped her
Mac Dre got so much money from prostitutes that he was able to run a prostitution ring.
My thang thang got twisters, two sets like sisters
Mac Dre's guns have twists in them and he has two guns that match each other like sisters.
Davins, and choppers there's no stoppin Mister
Mac Dre has nice rims and a shotgun, and he can't be stopped.
A California Bear, all up in your ear
Mac Dre is a California native who is making great music right in your ear.
While I'm playing with your hair, bitch I'm a player
Mac Dre is flirting with women and he's confident in himself as a ladies' man.
It ain't fair, niggaz like me is rare
Mac Dre is rare because there aren't many artists like him in the music industry.
Hard to find, you might not find one like me anywhere
Mac Dre is truly one of a kind and you won't find another artist like him anywhere else.
You can search tall trees, the bottom of the seas
Even if you search high and low, you still won't find an artist like Mac Dre.
Nigga please, they don't make them like these
Mac Dre is a unique artist in his own right, and there won't be anyone like him in the future.
Huh what you say, you gone do what?
Mac Dre is calling out anyone who has a problem with him and asking them what they're going to do.
I murder, get further, in my coughnut
Mac Dre continues to succeed and thrive in his music scene despite any setbacks.
Geeks I chew up, in the streets I grew up
Mac Dre is from the streets and he doesn't tolerate anyone who isn't street smart.
I run with niggaz that'll peel a nigga for a few bucks
Mac Dre has associates who are willing to kill for a small sum of money.
I'm sewing thangs up, got the game on lock
Mac Dre is establishing his reputation in the music industry and is dominating the game.
Give you an E for effort, but it ain't no knock
Mac Dre acknowledges that someone has tried but it still wasn't up to par, but it's not an insult.
Man this thang don't stop, I'm all night like Denny's
Mac Dre never stops working and is just like the restaurant chain Denny's that never closes.
I'm countin' thow-wows while you scrapin' for pennies
Mac Dre has a lot of money while other people are barely getting by with the little they have.
I'm tight like two hemmies, dope like two gremmies
Mac Dre is skilled like two tailors and is very creative and unique like two artists.
Put a dub in the blunt cause I don't like them skinny
Mac Dre puts a lot of weed in his blunt because he doesn't like thinly rolled blunts.
Mafia like Benny, I offer ya some remy
Mac Dre is like a Mafia boss named Benny and he's offering people Remy Martin cognac.
Playboy, from the bay boy
Mac Dre is from the San Francisco Bay Area and embraces his Playboy lifestyle.
I sav lav, ya hear me?
Mac Dre is enjoying his life and hopes others can see that from his music.
Lyrics © SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: ANDRE HICKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind