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.
Too Hard for the Fuckin Radio
Mac Dre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It ain't nothin′ but some shit I wrote
About a young brotha deep in the game
They call me Mac Dre and I'm keepin the name
I sport Nikey shoes, I got a mic to use
To talk bad about suckers, I don't like the fools
Down and dirty bout spittin′ my hits
And if not, I′m gettin' my grits
Playin′ the game like it's supposed to be played
Makin′ much more than the minimum wage
Not a pimp daddy, don't drive a Caddy
I just mack and get all that babby
Dre, you know I never slow down
Smokin cesstee until I′m really towed down
Walk into the party, fully perked
Grab the microphone and let the mouthpiece work
I got hype and the game starts flowin'
The girls get freaky and it starts showin'
And when the party′s over at the end of the night
They say: Damn, Mac Dre you ain′t nothin' polite
Cause I′m the numero uno, could never be the dos
A Mack named Dre and I'm poppin the most
18, makin′ raps 'til I′m 80 though
And too hard for the fuckin' radio
"Tell me somethin' good"
I′m too hard for the fuckin′ radio
My rhymes are dope cause Mac Dre made 'em
And made you geek every time you play them
On your tape deck, hooked to your Sacco
A little hard, but brotha I′m a mack, though
Nothin' nice, makin′ raps that you wanna hear
Gettin cessted, put my hands on the beer
I can't help it, that′s what I like to do
Sloppy drunk, rappin' on the mic for you
A young brotha, kinda bone-skinny
I take a girl to the golden penny
Get romantic, just like I planned it
Then cut turf and leave the girl stranded
Is it hard becuz I just beat it?
Not really, that's what the girl needed
That′s game, I thought that you knew this
Mack game, and mine is the smoothest
Like lotion I′m in motion
I'm a mack, I was a big ocean
But no matter what the fuck your name is
Nothin′ nice is what my game is
18, makin' raps ′til I'm 80 though
And too hard for the fuckin′ radio
"Tell me somethin' new"
I'm too hard for the fuckin′ radio
Come to the Northside of the V
The C the r the e the s-t
Hit Lennard, what will be seen?
20 young niggaz gettin full of the Hen
This is the Romper Room, and you know who I am
The mack named Dre, so get with the program
Nothin′ proper, freaks will clock ya
And if there's funk, then punk we′ll mop ya
So beware of the four-door Delta
Get your crew if you think they can help ya
And step up but not too close
Cause the Crestside is poppin the most
And all you girls, don't you feel left out
And to the boys, I′ve worn that flesh out
And after that we can still be friends though
And if not, we'll be friends with the Indo
Romper Room kickin on Lennard Street
Mac Dre full of the Hennessy
18, makin′ raps 'til I'm 80 though
And too hard for the fuckin′ radio
"Too Hard for the Fuckin' Radio" is a rap song from Mac Dre, a popular Bay Area rapper who was instrumental in popularizing hyphy music along with other artists such as E-40 and Keak Da Sneak. The song is about Mac Dre's life and experiences as a young rapper in the music industry, how he's too hardcore for mainstream radio, and his reputation as a player and a mack. The song is essentially a rap autobiography, a statement of Mack Dre's style, and his self-confidence in his ability to succeed in the rap game.
The song's first verse gives listeners a glimpse into the life of Mac Dre, with him talking about how he writes his own music, his love for Nikey shoes, and his distaste for suckers. He then mentions how he plays the rap game and makes more than minimum wage without being a pimp daddy that drives a Caddy. Instead, he's a mack who gets all that babby, and he smokes cesstee until he's really towed down. He paints a picture of himself walking into a party, fully perked and ready to grab the microphone and let the mouthpiece work. At the end of the night, people are amazed by his performance and how he's too hard for the fuckin' radio.
The second verse begins with Mac Dre saying, "Tell me something good." He then explains how his rhymes are dope and how he always makes people geek when they listen to his music. He's a little hard, but he's also a mack who's not so nice but makes raps that people want to hear. He talks about getting drunk and rapping on the mic, and how he takes girls to the Golden Penny, gets romantic, and then cuts turf and leaves the girl stranded. He asserts that he's a mack, and his game is the smoothest. He talks about how he can make music from 18 to 80, which is a testament to his long-term plan.
Overall, the song showcases Mack Dre's style, self-confidence, and his vision for the future. He's energetic, raw, and has a unique style that sets him apart from others in the rap game. He entertains and inspires his listeners to pursue their passions and never settle for less.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen up, I'm about to get dope
Pay attention, I'm about to showcase my skill
It ain't nothin' but some shit I wrote
These lyrics are nothing special, just what I came up with
About a young brotha deep in the game
This song is about me, Mac Dre, who has been in the rap game for a while
They call me Mac Dre and I'm keepin the name
My name is Mac Dre and I'm known for my style, so I'll keep doing me
I sport Nikey shoes, I got a mic to use
I wear Nike shoes and use my microphone to talk about my dislike for certain people
To talk bad about suckers, I don't like the fools
I use my music to criticize people who I think are fools
Down and dirty bout spittin' my hits
I rap with passion and energy when performing my songs
And if not, I'm gettin' my grits
If I'm not rapping, then I'm making money in some other way
Playin' the game like it's supposed to be played
I live life to the fullest and enjoy what I do, just like how the game of life should be played
Makin' much more than the minimum wage
I earn a lot of money, way more than the minimum wage
Not a pimp daddy, don't drive a Caddy
I'm not a flashy person, I don't drive a Cadillac and I'm not a pimp
I just mack and get all that babby
I'm just myself, a mack, and attract a lot of women
Dre, you know I never slow down
I'm always on the move, never taking a break
Smokin cesstee until I'm really towed down
I like to smoke weed until I'm really high
Walk into the party, fully perked
I go into parties feeling confident and energized
Grab the microphone and let the mouthpiece work
I pick up the mic and let my voice do the talking
I got hype and the game starts flowin'
My energy gets me in the right mindset to start rapping
The girls get freaky and it starts showin'
When I start rapping, girls start dancing provocatively
And when the party's over at the end of the night
When the party ends and the night is over
They say: Damn, Mac Dre you ain't nothin' polite
People say that I'm not polite, probably because of my music and lyrics
Cause I'm the numero uno, could never be the dos
I'm the best, no one else can compare
A Mack named Dre and I'm poppin the most
I'm Mac Dre, and I'm the most popular
18, makin' raps 'til I'm 80 though
I started making music at 18 and will continue until I'm an old man
And too hard for the fuckin' radio
My music is too explicit for radio play
My rhymes are dope cause Mac Dre made 'em
My lyrics are great because I wrote them
And made you geek every time you play them
My music makes you excited and energized every time you listen to it
On your tape deck, hooked to your Sacco
You listen to my music on your cassette tapes on your Sacco sound system
A little hard, but brotha I'm a mack, though
My music is a little explicit, but I'm still a mack and that's just what I do
Nothin' nice, makin' raps that you wanna hear
My music isn't pleasant, but you still want to listen to it
Gettin cessted, put my hands on the beer
I like to get high and drink beer
I can't help it, that's what I like to do
I'm not going to stop doing what I enjoy
Sloppy drunk, rappin' on the mic for you
I get drunk and rap on the mic for my fans
A young brotha, kinda bone-skinny
I'm a young guy, and I'm pretty thin
I take a girl to the golden penny
I take a girl out and treat her to a nice meal
Get romantic, just like I planned it
I plan to be romantic and it works out for me
Then cut turf and leave the girl stranded
After I'm done with her, I leave the girl stranded
Is it hard becuz I just beat it?
Is it tough for you to understand because I had sex with her?
Not really, that's what the girl needed
No, it's not tough to understand because that's what she wanted
That's game, I thought that you knew this
That's how the game works, I thought you already knew
Mack game, and mine is the smoothest
The game of being a mack, and I'm the smoothest
Like lotion I'm in motion
I'm always moving and doing something, like how lotion moves easily
I'm a mack, I was a big ocean
I'm a big-time mack, like the vastness of the ocean
But no matter what the fuck your name is
It doesn't matter who you are, I'm still better
Nothin' nice is what my game is
My game is not a pleasant one
Come to the Northside of the V
Come to the northern side of the Vallejo area
The C the r the e the s-t
The Crest is the area I'm referring to
Hit Lennard, what will be seen?
Go to Lennard Street and see what's happening
20 young niggaz gettin full of the Hen
20 young guys getting drunk off Hennessy
This is the Romper Room, and you know who I am
This is where we party, and you know who I am
The mack named Dre, so get with the program
I'm the mack named Dre, so follow my lead
Nothin' proper, freaks will clock ya
We don't do things the proper way here, and the girls will notice you
And if there's funk, then punk we'll mop ya
If there's any trouble, we'll take care of you
So beware of the four-door Delta
Be careful of the car with four doors
Get your crew if you think they can help ya
Call your friends to come help you if you need it
And step up but not too close
Come forward, but don't get too close
Cause the Crestside is poppin the most
The Crestside area is the most exciting
And all you girls, don't you feel left out
Girls, don't feel excluded from the party
And to the boys, I've worn that flesh out
To the guys, I've already had sex with all the available girls
And after that we can still be friends though
We can still be friends after having sex
And if not, we'll be friends with the Indo
If we can't be friends, we can still smoke weed together
Romper Room kickin on Lennard Street
We party hard on Lennard Street
Mac Dre full of the Hennessy
I'm drunk off Hennessy
18, makin' raps 'til I'm 80 though
I started making music at 18 and will continue until I'm an old man
And too hard for the fuckin' radio
My music is too explicit for radio play
Writer(s): Andre Hicks, Tony Whitman
Contributed by Chloe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@erenkavvas6502
This song is a perfect combination of percussion, edm, and rap. Mac Dre makes the funnest songs to listen to when I'm on a run.
@keitomineproductions4133
I wouldn't be surprised if it was made on something like an MPC
@JohnBrown-he9oe
+
@NebulousNova
3c Romp is another good Mac Dre song that has the combination you are talking about
@Airsoftsnipingkid
He made this in high school, so dope
@deonacross3626
Mac Dre will always be in the game through life and death
@joeygriff1706
2021 and STILL slappin this heat Mayne R.I.P To the one and only Mac Dre
@rjdacayanan6386
R.I.P. Mac Dre the 707 is gonna miss u
@Bopperspaniel
Worldwide loss rest up pimp
@staceyhogg9889
Rip cuz FAM KINFOLKZ