Retired NFL star turned actor Marshawn Lynch is teaming with Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry to produce a documentary about legendary Bay Area hip-hop legend Mac Dre.
Born Andre Hicks in Oakland, the Vallejo-raised rapper was shot to death in 2004 in Kansas City, Mo. He was just 34 but already a significant figure in the regional hyphy movement, catapulting the phrase “hella” into popular vernacular and spitting bars on era-defining hits like “Feelin’ Myself,” “Get Stupid” and “Make You Mine.”
The documentary features Mac Dre’s mother, Wanda Salvatto, who explores the life and death of her son, the birth of a cultural movement and the generational impact that the Bay Area emcee had on the world, according to a joint statement released Wednesday, March 5, by Curry’s Unanimous Media and Lynch’s Beastmode Productions.
“We at Beastmode Productions are thrilled to partner with Unanimous Media to produce and celebrate the extraordinary life of Mac Dre. He is not only a Bay Area icon but also a trailblazing independent hip-hop pioneer whose influence resonates globally,” said Diaunte Thompson, co-founder of Beastmode Productions.
The project’s genesis stems to 2016 when, at a Drake concert at Oracle Arena, the Toronto rapper brought Salvatto onstage and spoke about how much her son, Mac Dre, influenced his work. Also a guest at that concert: Curry.
Unanimous first announced the project in 2023, but the addition of Beastmode and Lynch, the East Bay native whose career included a stint with the Oakland Raiders, gives the project increased momentum.
“Alongside his mother, Wanda, we’ve assembled a group of creatives who are honored to have the opportunity to tell Mac Dre’s life story for fans and the Bay Area community alike,” said Erick Peyton, co-founder of Unanimous Media.
That crew includes director Michelle Parker, a Pittsburg native who attended Berkeley Digital Film Institute and has directed numerous music videos featuring artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Young Thug, Cardi B, Kash Doll, Wale, Don Toliver and Coi Leray. S: SF Chronicle
