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.
Welcome To The Bay
Mac Dre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm still out here my nigga
You can't tell
Still at the kitchen table
Cuttin down coke for sell
Still gritin'
Still conducting business through a beeper
With the block
I'm still in it still rapping
And still winning
Still at the dank spot
300 I'm still spending
Still don't rock
The mock and linnings
Still up in the block
Hop out and be like (Welcome to the Bay)
Yeah! young nigga still in the beef
We ride the high shit and sell millions
But we still in the streets
Ah! The Game still reppin' the west
I'm still sending a bitch andshooting shit 'cause
(Welcome to the Bay)
That monkey still on my back
Man I still gotta have it
Shitin' pp on you faggots nigga
We still under the sun
Man its Dre, Yuk, Numb, And takeover my nigga
(Welcome to the Bay)
Chorus
Yeah put us back on the map bitch
We put crack on the map
Dope phiens get slapped wit a bat
Bitch niggas get capped wita gat
Let em' know where they at
(Welcome to the Bay)
Back to back benzs and lacs
Real macks pimp bitches on tracks
Real thugs get riches of crack
Anyone snitches get wacked
Let em' know where they at
(Welcome to the Bay)
(Yukmouth)
The home of the crackola
Since operation stackola
I'm been slappin soward wit the strapola
Home of the mob and get maskola
Gotta buy your slabs of cola from me (Welcome to the Bay)
The flower boys the mitchel boys nigga
The Richmond boys the Frisco boyz nigga
Sniped them boys ship em' boy
Come get employed
(Welcome to the Bay)
We ride old skool tools and voughs
We ride 2002s on holes
And the shoes is old
22s them folds
All on a bitch we use and lose them hoes
(Welcome to the Bay)
Dippin' yoakin' the strips of oakland
Sippin' smokin' 5th of stoin'
Wrist is glowing
Mouth is platnum
Even where my shit was goldin
Yukmouth been this shit before
(Welcome to the Bay)
Oakland stand up
Weigh them grams up
Give them keys to atlanta
And hook fam up
In the land truck
I'm the boss like tony danza
With the poliece scanna
(Welcome tothe Bay)
(Chorus)
Repeat
(Mac Dre)
Running From the blacks and whites
Hubcaps and whites
Slanging sacks at night
Down to blast from sight
The Bay Area Northern collifes
Ball cap A's duece (Welcome to the Bay)
From the V to the CCC
Punk niggas play bitches like MP3
Land of the native
Shrimp and champain
Phat blunts fresh out the plaine
(Welcome to the Bay)
Home of the BGF and Comie
Messy Marv, Mac Dre, and the Lounies
In Vellijo there's cutlis for sale
Young nigga slangin' rocks out the lunch pale
(Welcome to the Bay)
The roumauir
Got me driffting
Yoakin' and dippin'
In a car from the Sixties
When I steer I'm gona yoak that
Come out here you might not go back
(Welcome to the Bay)
(Chorus)
In the song "Welcome 2 da Bay," the lyrics are a celebration of the Bay Area including Oakland, San Francisco, and Vallejo in California. The lyrics describe the lifestyle of still gritting, conducting business with a beeper, and still being in the streets even after making millions selling records. The Bay Area is the home of the crackola, home of the mob and the place where people ride old-school tools and voughs. They dip in yoakin' the strips of Oakland, sipping and smoking a fifth of Stoin, and their mouth is platinum.
Yukmouth represents the Bay Area with pride and an inclination to still be in the game even after achieving fame. He describes the area as a place where they put crack on the map, and dope fiends get slapped with a bat, and bitch niggas get capped wita gat. The chorus of the song is a call to welcome those who want to visit the Bay Area where they put them back on the map, and they want to remind them that snitches get wacked.
Overall, "Welcome 2 da Bay" by Mac Dre is an ode to the Bay Area where the artist comes from, its rich culture, and the people who reside in the region.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm still out here my nigga
I'm still here and I'm not going anywhere
You can't tell
You can't see what I'm really doing
Still at the kitchen table
Still hustling
Cuttin down coke for sell
Cutting cocaine to sell
Still gritin'
Still grinding out here
Still conducting business through a beeper
Still using a beeper to communicate business
With the block
With my people on the block
Under my sneekers (Welcome to the Bay)
Always representing the Bay Area
I'm still in it still rapping
Still in the rap game
And still winning
Still making moves and money
Still at the dank spot
Still smoking weed
300 I'm still spending
Still spending $300 on weed
Still don't rock
Still don't wear fake clothes
The mock and linnings
The fake designer clothes
Still up in the block
Still in the neighborhood
Hop out and be like (Welcome to the Bay)
Introducing outsiders to the Bay
Yeah! young nigga still in the beef
Still involved in street conflicts
We ride the high shit and sell millions
We sell a lot of drugs and make a lot of money
But we still in the streets
But we're still involved in street activities
Ah! The Game still reppin' the west
Still representing the West Coast
I'm still sending a bitch and shooting shit 'cause
Still dealing with women and violence
(Welcome to the Bay)
Welcome to the Bay Area
That monkey still on my back
Still struggling with addiction
Man I still gotta have it
Still craving drugs
Shitin' pp on you faggots nigga
Disrespecting homosexual men
We still under the sun
We're still alive and kicking
Man its Dre, Yuk, Numb, And takeover my nigga
Me and my crew are taking over
Yeah put us back on the map bitch
We're still relevant and important
We put crack on the map
We're responsible for popularizing crack
Dope phiens get slapped wit a bat
Violent reaction to drug addicts
Bitch niggas get capped wita gat
Violent reaction to cowardly men
Let em' know where they at
Make them aware of their surroundings
Back to back benzs and lacs
Luxurious cars
Real macks pimp bitches on tracks
Real pimps exploit women for money
Real thugs get riches of crack
Real criminals make money from selling drugs
Anyone snitches get wacked
Anyone who snitches gets killed
The home of the crackola
The birthplace of crack cocaine
Since operation stackola
Since a government operation to arrest drug dealers
I'm been slappin soward wit the strapola
I've been carrying weapons
Home of the mob and get maskola
Home of organized crime and drugs
Gotta buy your slabs of cola from me (Welcome to the Bay)
You have to buy drugs from me in the Bay Area
The flower boys the mitchel boys nigga
Different crews in the Bay Area
The Richmond boys the Frisco boyz nigga
Different neighborhoods in the Bay Area
Sniped them boys ship em' boy
Attacking rival crews
Come get employed
Join my crew
We ride old skool tools and voughs
We drive old cars
We ride 2002s on holes
We drive luxury cars as well
And the shoes is old
Our shoes are old and worn out
22s them folds
Rims on our cars
All on a bitch we use and lose them hoes
We use and discard women
Dippin' yoakin' the strips of oakland
Driving on the streets of Oakland
Sippin' smokin' 5th of stoin'
Drinking and smoking
Wrist is glowing
Wearing jewelry
Mouth is platnum
Wearing a platinum grill
Even where my shit was goldin
Even when my music was popular
Yukmouth been this shit before
Yukmouth has been in the game for a while
Oakland stand up
Proud of Oakland
Weigh them grams up
Weighing drugs
Give them keys to atlanta
Selling drugs in other cities
And hook fam up
Taking care of family and crew
In the land truck
In a luxury SUV
I'm the boss like tony danza
I'm in charge
With the poliece scanna
Listening to police scanners
Running From the blacks and whites
Evading the police
Hubcaps and whites
Police cars
Slanging sacks at night
Selling drugs at night
Down to blast from sight
Ready to use weapons
The Bay Area Northern collifes
Rhyming 'collifes' with 'life' - like a description of life in the Bay Area
Ball cap A's duece (Welcome to the Bay)
Wearing Oakland A's ball caps
From the V to the CCC
From Vallejo to Contra Costa County
Punk niggas play bitches like MP3
Cowards treat women poorly
Land of the native
The birthplace of many rap icons
Shrimp and champain
Luxury food and drink
Phat blunts fresh out the plaine
Freshly rolled and large marijuana joints
Home of the BGF and Comie
Home of gangs Black Guerrilla Family and Community
Messy Marv, Mac Dre, and the Lounies
Rap artists from the Bay Area
In Vellijo there's cutlis for sale
Vallejo is known for selling cars
Young nigga slangin' rocks out the lunch pale
Young people selling drugs out of their lunch pails
The roumauir
Driving and handling a car
Got me driffting
Got me swerving on the road
Yoakin' and dippin'
Driving and dodging obstacles
In a car from the Sixties
Driving a classic car
When I steer I'm gona yoak that
When I drive, I'm going to show off
Come out here you might not go back
The Bay Area can be dangerous and addictive
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind