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.
I've Been
Mac Dre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Let's make this official, baby)
Real before rappin
Respect before success
[ Harm ]
I've been down
For oh so long
I want you to...
Step in my 150s for a minute
Step in my shoes
Walk in my shoes
Yeah
Just want you to see things like how I see em
You know
This's for all my niggas out there
Check it out
Bottom bunk, sleepin in a 2 man cell
C.O. at my do', and I'm mad as hell
Punk police cowboy from Texas
Talkin some shit bout servin breakfast
It's 5:15, he must be psycho
Or just plain stupid for thinkin I might go
I cussed him out, he gave me distance
And pressed his body alarm for quick assistance
Now these muthafuckas want to do it the rough way
Five C.O.'s is what it takes to cuff Dre
Straight to the hole, but it ain't no thang
My celly got dank, so I'm cool & The Gang
See the lt. for the disposition
28 days commissary restriction
2 days later back on the main line
Dopefiend's dose, so I go claim mine
25 cartons, now I'm straight
Keep 17, and the homeboys 8
Cop some hop, start back boomin
Got em sendin money on the Western Union
2 fat gramms of that china white
Gon' have these dopefiends tryin to fight
Grabbed 3 cartons to coop some dank
And 5 whole packs for some hoops to drink
Now I'm chillin in my cell lookin out the window
Drinkin pruno, smokin indo
Grabbed my shank, but when I'm finsta bounce
They lock a nigga down for resistance counts
Look at Jack Brooks while I'm waitin
Might even do a little masturbatin
Trippin off that bitch Dominique
I bust one quick while my celly sleep
Doors rack open, now it's time for movement
Goddamn pruno got a nigga too bent
Bounce to the movies with my homies
The title sound good, but the shit was phoney
Damn cigarettes won't let me breathe
Niggas gettin restless, wantin to leave
The lights flash on, quick as fuck
Somebody in the bathroom just got stuck
If he makes it, he'll be lucky
Six inch blade stuck straight in gutry
25 cops rush the spot
Now I got one-time on my jock
Stash my shank underneath the seat
And make sure no blood is on my feet
Punk police want to take me down
They put me on the wall and they shake me down
Now it's back to the block strapless
But I got two mo' in my matress
One mo' time I peep the cops
Fuckin with them boys from Great Street, Watts
I said, "Punk muthafucka, won't you leave em the hell alone"
Down to the 3rd and got on the telephone
Called my bitch, but she showed me no love
Got on the phone, shot me a cold dove
She said she can't talk, she got a sore throat
But she probably gettin fucked by a sport coat
I'm goin through it
Yeah
y'all real niggas know
Yeah muthafucka
I done been there and back boy
I could tell you the story from rags to riches
How I did time with fags and snitches
That's real
It's really real
It's no drama
It's really real
Yeah
y'all niggas better go to school
Tryina fuck with this nigga here, man
It's the real
Yeah
Dick Down
Freaky D
Baby Rah
T-Endo
My niggas
Ty-Ty
Doin that federal shit
Freak
Freak, don't worry about nothin, man
I've been down
For oh so long
Starin at these prison walls
Same old song
Mac Dre's "I've Been Down" describes his prison experiences and the difficulties he faced while serving time there. The song takes the listener through his typical day in the correctional facility, beginning with waking up in a 2-man cell and dealing with a difficult prison guard who constantly harasses him. Dre then details how he spends his time, including the commissary restrictions and the daily routine of smoking and drinking with his fellow inmates. The song also touches on the issue of racial profiling, as Dre describes how people from Great Street, Watts are often harassed by the police.
"I've Been Down" is a powerful commentary on the flaws of the prison system and its negative impact on those who are incarcerated. Dre's lyrics provide insight into the harsh realities that prison inmates face on a daily basis, including limited access to basic amenities and the far-reaching consequences of breaking the rules. The song has a somber tone that reflects the pain and frustration of being trapped in an oppressive system.
Line by Line Meaning
Real niggas
Authentic people who embody character & values
(Let's make this official, baby)
Formalize our agreement & commitment
Real before rappin
Earned my authenticity before being a rapper
Respect before success
Valued respect more than becoming successful
I've been down
I have experienced severe hardships
For oh so long
For a prolonged duration
Starin at these prison walls
Looking at the walls of my prison cell
Bottom bunk, sleepin in a 2 man cell
Sleeping on the lower bed of a two-person cell
C.O. at my do', and I'm mad as hell
Correctional officer at my door, and I'm furious
Punk police cowboy from Texas
An obnoxious, arrogant police officer from Texas
Talkin some shit bout servin breakfast
Muttering nonsense about serving breakfast
It's 5:15, he must be psycho
It's incredibly early, and he must be crazy
Or just plain stupid for thinkin I might go
Or an imbecile who thinks I might run away
I cussed him out, he gave me distance
I verbally abused him, and he kept his distance
And pressed his body alarm for quick assistance
He pressed his emergency button for reinforcement
Now these muthafuckas want to do it the rough way
Now these assholes want to be confrontational
Five C.O.'s is what it takes to cuff Dre
It takes five officers to restrain me
Straight to the hole, but it ain't no thang
Sent to solitary confinement, but it doesn't phase me
My celly got dank, so I'm cool & The Gang
My cellmate has high-quality marijuana, so I'm good
See the lt. for the disposition
See the lieutenant for the outcome of my case
28 days commissary restriction
Access to the prison store is limited for 28 days
2 days later back on the main line
Two days later, I'm back in the general population
Dopefiend's dose, so I go claim mine
Claim my share of drugs for personal use
25 cartons, now I'm straight
I have 25 full cartons, so I'm set for a while
Keep 17, and the homeboys 8
I kept 17 cartons, and my friends have 8
Cop some hop, start back boomin
Acquire some heroin and start distributing it again
Got em sendin money on the Western Union
Customers are sending payment via Western Union
2 fat gramms of that china white
Two potent grams of heroin
Gon' have these dopefiends tryin to fight
Will make drug addicts fight over it
Grabbed 3 cartons to coop some dank
Grabbed three cartons to store some high-quality marijuana
And 5 whole packs for some hoops to drink
Acquired five packs of liquor to make prison wine
Now I'm chillin in my cell lookin out the window
Now I'm relaxing in my cell and looking out of the window
Drinkin pruno, smokin indo
Drinking prison wine and smoking marijuana
Grabbed my shank, but when I'm finsta bounce
Picked up my homemade knife but had to hide it quickly because of the officers
They lock a nigga down for resistance counts
They put me in isolation for resisting authority
Look at Jack Brooks while I'm waitin
Watching Jack Brooks while waiting for something
Might even do a little masturbatin
Might even masturbate a little
Trippin off that bitch Dominique
Obsessing over a woman named Dominique
I bust one quick while my celly sleep
I masturbated while my cellmate was sleeping
Doors rack open, now it's time for movement
The doors open, and it's time for prisoners to move
Goddamn pruno got a nigga too bent
The strong prison wine has affected me too much
Bounce to the movies with my homies
Going with my friends to the prison movie theater
The title sounds good, but the shit was phoney
The movie had a good title, but it wasn't good
Damn cigarettes won't let me breathe
Cigarettes are so addictive, and I can't quit
Niggas gettin restless, wantin to leave
People are becoming irritable and want to leave
The lights flash on, quick as fuck
The lights turn on suddenly
Somebody in the bathroom just got stuck
Someone is having a medical emergency in the bathroom
If he makes it, he'll be lucky
If he survives, he'll be fortunate
Six-inch blade stuck straight in gutry
A six-inch knife is pushed straight into someone's stomach
25 cops rush the spot
25 officers quickly arrive on the scene
Now I got one-time on my jock
Now, the cops are paying attention to me
Stash my shank underneath the seat
Hide my knife under my seat
And make sure no blood is on my feet
Check that there is no blood on my feet from the incident
Punk police want to take me down
The obnoxious police officer wants to arrest me
They put me on the wall and they shake me down
They search me rigorously and thoroughly against the wall
Now it's back to the block strapless
Back to my cell without my knife
But I got two mo' in my mattress
But I have two more knives stashed in my mattress
One mo' time I peep the cops
One more time, I check for the cops
Fuckin with them boys from Great Street, Watts
Messing with gang members from Great Street, Watts
I said, "Punk muthafucka, won't you leave em the hell alone"
I challenged the obnoxious police officer to leave the gang members alone
Down to the 3rd and got on the telephone
Waiting for my turn to use the phone on the third tier
Called my bitch, but she showed me no love
Called my woman, but she didn't show me any affection
Got on the phone, shot me a cold dove
She spoke coldly to me on the phone
She said she can't talk, she got a sore throat
She said she couldn't talk because she has a sore throat
But she probably gettin fucked by a sport coat
She's likely to be having sex with another man
I'm goin through it
I'm dealing with a lot of problems right now
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHARLES EDWARD DANIELS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind