Dresta
Encyclopedia
Andre DeSean Wicker better known by his stage name Dresta, is an American rapper known for collaborating with Eazy-E
on the 1993 single "Real Muthaphuckkin G's
". He is also the older brother of rapper B.G. Knocc Out
, who also collaborated in the song.
. He and his brother Arlandis Hinton became Crips
gang members. They were affiliated with Nutty Blocc Compton Crips set. He was convicted of assault
ing another gang member in Compton in 1985 or 1986, and was incarcerated at the California Youth Authority
in Camarillo
.
eventually discovered Wicker and Hinton, met up and recorded songs with them. Dresta (Wicker) and B.G. Knocc Out (Hinton) signed to Ruthless Records with Eazy-E. They both appeared on the Eazy's 1993 multi-platinum EP It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa
on single "Real Muthaphuckkin G's" (which was censored to "Real Compton City G's" in order to garner MTV
and radio airplay). The song itself was a response to Dr. Dre
's and Snoop Dogg
's various diss records towards Eazy-E on The Chronic
.
In 1995. Dresta and B.G. Knocc Out released their debut album Real Brothas
, which remains their only album to date. At end of the same year, they made three guest appearances in Eazy-E's posthumous album Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton
.
After B.G. Knocc Out's incarceration in 1998, Dresta worked with Death Row Records
. Dresta appeared on two tracks from Death Row's Too Gangsta for Radio compilation, but never actually signed to the label.
Dresta stated in an interview that he is currently working on Dirty West mixtape
series and on upcoming solo album, hinting possibility of Real Brothas to get re-released. Dresta also wrote a song for Dr. Dre's upcoming album Detox, but Dre didn't want to collaborate with him. He also criticized Dr. Dre for surrounding himself with mediocre artists and delay of Detox.
At around 6:30 p.m., a shooting began in a parking lot in the 2200 block of East 114th Street. 25 shots were fired, six of which hit Thomas, who was said to be the prime target of the shooting. According to witnesses, Thomas was carrying a pistol and he shot back at the assailants, possibly wounding two of them.
Thomas and Wicker were subsequently hospitalized in Martin Luther King, Jr. Multi-Service Ambulatory Care Center, where Thomas was pronounced dead. Wicker was in critical condition while arriving to hospital, but received a surgery for a gunshot to his left arm and was released at the same week. Compton was wounded in the arm and treated at St. Francis Medical Center
in Lynwood
. He was later charged with murder of Thomas, but was released from jail after pleading no contest
to one count of voluntary manslaughter
on May 31, 1994. Compton was sentenced to one year probation under terms of a plea bargain.
Eazy-E
Eric Lynn Wright , better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright in Compton, California...
on the 1993 single "Real Muthaphuckkin G's
Real Muthaphuckkin G's
"Real Muthaphuckkin G's" is a 1993 song by West Coast rapper Eazy-E from his album It's On 187um Killa. It is a "diss song" to former N.W.A. bandmate Dr. Dre and his then-new protégé Snoop Doggy Dogg. It is also one of the few songs that Eazy-E ever produced in the studio.It peaked at #42 on the...
". He is also the older brother of rapper B.G. Knocc Out
B.G. Knocc Out
Al Hasan Naqiyy , better known by his stage name B.G. Knocc Out, is an American rapper known for collaborating with Eazy-E on the 1993 single "Real Muthaphuckkin G's". He is also the younger brother of rapper Dresta, who also collaborated in the song.- Early life and music career :Arlandis Hinton...
, who also collaborated in the song.
Early life
Andre DeSean Wicker was born and raised in Compton, CaliforniaCompton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
. He and his brother Arlandis Hinton became Crips
Crips
The Crips are a primarily, but not exclusively, African American gang. They were founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969 mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams...
gang members. They were affiliated with Nutty Blocc Compton Crips set. He was convicted of assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
ing another gang member in Compton in 1985 or 1986, and was incarcerated at the California Youth Authority
California Division of Juvenile Justice
The California Division of Juvenile Justice , formerly known as the California Youth Authority , is a division of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation that provides education, training, and treatment services for California's most serious youth offenders...
in Camarillo
Camarillo, California
Camarillo is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 65,201 at the 2010 census, up from 57,084 at the 2000 census. The Ventura Freeway Camarillo is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. The population was 65,201 at the 2010 census, up from 57,084 at...
.
Music career
While Wicker was serving his ten-year sentence, he started writing lyrics and rapping. After Wicker's release, Eazy-EEazy-E
Eric Lynn Wright , better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright in Compton, California...
eventually discovered Wicker and Hinton, met up and recorded songs with them. Dresta (Wicker) and B.G. Knocc Out (Hinton) signed to Ruthless Records with Eazy-E. They both appeared on the Eazy's 1993 multi-platinum EP It's On (
It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa
It's On 187um Killa is an EP by rapper Eazy-E released in 1993. Eazy-E's 2nd EP is a response to Dr. Dre's The Chronic. The album was certified 5x Platinum in late 1994 by the RIAA. It's Eazy's most successful album, peaking on #5 on Billboard 200 and #1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums...
on single "Real Muthaphuckkin G's" (which was censored to "Real Compton City G's" in order to garner MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and radio airplay). The song itself was a response to Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
's and Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
's various diss records towards Eazy-E on The Chronic
The Chronic
The Chronic is the solo debut album of American hip hop artist Dr. Dre, released December 15, 1992, on his own record label Death Row Records, and distributed by Priority Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in June 1992 at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman...
.
In 1995. Dresta and B.G. Knocc Out released their debut album Real Brothas
Real Brothas
Real Brothas is the debut album of rappers' B.G. Knocc Out and Dresta, released in 1995. Including the minor hits "D.P.G./K", "Jealousy" and the Eazy-E-dedicated song "50/50 Luv". "D.P.G./K" was the B-side to "50/50 Luv". Music videos were made for "D.P.G/K", "50/50", and "Jealousy". A music video...
, which remains their only album to date. At end of the same year, they made three guest appearances in Eazy-E's posthumous album Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton
Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton
Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton is rapper Eazy-E's second and final full-length album. It was released posthumously on November 24, 1995, almost exactly eight months after Eazy-E's death from AIDS...
.
After B.G. Knocc Out's incarceration in 1998, Dresta worked with Death Row Records
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...
. Dresta appeared on two tracks from Death Row's Too Gangsta for Radio compilation, but never actually signed to the label.
Dresta stated in an interview that he is currently working on Dirty West mixtape
Mixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
series and on upcoming solo album, hinting possibility of Real Brothas to get re-released. Dresta also wrote a song for Dr. Dre's upcoming album Detox, but Dre didn't want to collaborate with him. He also criticized Dr. Dre for surrounding himself with mediocre artists and delay of Detox.
1994 shooting
On January 14, 1994, Tyrone Thomas (also known as Tony Bogard), Andre Wicker and Rodney Compton were involved in a gang confrontation in Imperial Courts housing projects. Thomas and Compton were former Grape Street Watts Crips and Thomas had helped to organize a truce between Crips and Bloods in Watts, Los Angeles in 1992.At around 6:30 p.m., a shooting began in a parking lot in the 2200 block of East 114th Street. 25 shots were fired, six of which hit Thomas, who was said to be the prime target of the shooting. According to witnesses, Thomas was carrying a pistol and he shot back at the assailants, possibly wounding two of them.
Thomas and Wicker were subsequently hospitalized in Martin Luther King, Jr. Multi-Service Ambulatory Care Center, where Thomas was pronounced dead. Wicker was in critical condition while arriving to hospital, but received a surgery for a gunshot to his left arm and was released at the same week. Compton was wounded in the arm and treated at St. Francis Medical Center
St. Francis Medical Center (Lynwood)
St. Francis Medical Center is a not-for-profit hospital in Lynwood, California, USA.-History:The hospital was founded in 1945 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity and in 1981 acquired by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul...
in Lynwood
Lynwood, California
Lynwood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 69,772, down from 69,845 at the 2000 census. Lynwood is located near South Gate and Compton in the southern portion of the Los Angeles Basin. Incorporated in...
. He was later charged with murder of Thomas, but was released from jail after pleading no contest
Nolo contendere
is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of...
to one count of voluntary manslaughter
Voluntary Manslaughter
Voluntary manslaughter is the killing of a human being in which the offender had no prior intent to kill and acted during "the heat of passion," under circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed. In the Uniform Crime Reports prepared by the...
on May 31, 1994. Compton was sentenced to one year probation under terms of a plea bargain.
Albums
| Album information |
|---|
| Real Brothas Real Brothas Real Brothas is the debut album of rappers' B.G. Knocc Out and Dresta, released in 1995. Including the minor hits "D.P.G./K", "Jealousy" and the Eazy-E-dedicated song "50/50 Luv". "D.P.G./K" was the B-side to "50/50 Luv". Music videos were made for "D.P.G/K", "50/50", and "Jealousy". A music video...
|
External links
- Discography at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- 2008 interview of Dresta