Mac Dre's grave marker stolen
Uncle of slain rap star wants his remains back in Vallejo
By MATTHIAS GAFNI/Times-Herald staff writer
Vallejo Times Herald
The grave marker of slain Vallejo rap star Mac Dre has been stolen from an Oakland cemetery, family and cemetery officials said Friday.
Since his November 2004, burial in Mountain View Cemetery, a continual stream of fans have visited the grave site of the hip-hop artist, a local legend who has posthumously gained soaring notoriety, a cemetery official said.
One of those rabid fans may have dug up the granite grave marker and hauled off the 50-pound stone, said Bernard Hicks, uncle of the late Andre "Mac Dre" Hicks.
"We just think it's some kind of fan. Some crazed fan who put it in their house," said Hicks whose family was notified of the theft by Oakland police on Tuesday.
"They said it was taken and they didn't have no suspects. They didn't know who took it," said Hicks of Vallejo. "That's all we know right now."
An Oakland police official contacted late Friday was unaware of the alleged theft.
A cemetery official, who wished to remain anonymous, said a visitor to Mac Dre's grave a couple weeks ago told cemetery staff he couldn't find the plot. It was then that cemetery officials realized someone had dug out the marker, the official said.
"That week we had quite a few people coming in to visit the site," the cemetery official said. Mac Dre's plot lies up in the hills of the sprawling 223-acre cemetery. "We get a lot of visitors for him. They come to our office and ask, 'Where's Andre Hicks?' "
The official estimated the cemetery office gets about five to 10 inquiries every month from fans wanting to visit Mac Dre's plot.
Mac Dre was born in Oakland and grew up in Vallejo. He was shot and killed on a Kansas City, Mo. highway on Nov. 1, 2004, after an appearance at a local club. Who shot the rapper and why has never been determined, but in the months following his death rumors of a Bay Area/Kansas City rap war surfaced on hip hop Web sites.
Funeral services were held in Fairfield to an overflowing crowd. Mac Dre's body lay in a platinum-plated stainless steel basket lined with cardinal red crushed velvet, protected by a fiberglass shield. A mob scene accompanied his burial in Oakland as well.
Since his death Mac Dre has reached his highest commercial success, with record album sales soaring and popular souvenirs gobbled up by fans.
"I think he's gotten even bigger since (his death). His record is still selling off the chart. It seems like he'll never go away. A lot of people are just crazy about Mac Dre," his uncle said.
His immense popularity leads his family and others to speculate that a fan took the grave marker from the large cemetery, which is open to the public.
"It had to be someone taking it. Maybe wanting it for a souvenir," said the cemetery official who's worked there for 10 years without seeing another marker stolen.
Fans on hip hop Web sites have recently been spewing venom and threatening violence toward those responsible for the theft.
Hicks said it might be time to return his nephew's remains to Vallejo.
"We're not up there 24-7. We're not sure who's up there, who's hanging around up there," Hicks said. "I know one thing. In my opinion maybe we should have his body moved back to Vallejo. That way we can have a closer watch on everything. That's my personal opinion, I don't know that his mother would think about that."
A call to Mac Dre's mother was not returned immediately Friday.
The cemetery official said the family plans to replace the marker.
"When we do get it, we're going to try and do something to make it very difficult to remove," the official said. "I just hope it doesn't happen again."
Meanwhile, Hicks asks the perpetrator to just return the grave marker.
"There will be no trouble, no going to the police, we just want the headstone returned," Hicks said.
Mac Dre's uncle said he can't understand why someone would disrespect the grave site.
"Actually, I was pretty pissed off. We paid a pretty penny for that headstone, they don't come cheap. For someone to mess with his gravesite is pretty disturbing. Why would they do that?" Hicks said. "Everyone in the family is totally shocked."
- E-mail Matthias Gafni at mgafni@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6825.
http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_4243638
Uncle of slain rap star wants his remains back in Vallejo
By MATTHIAS GAFNI/Times-Herald staff writer
Vallejo Times Herald
The grave marker of slain Vallejo rap star Mac Dre has been stolen from an Oakland cemetery, family and cemetery officials said Friday.
Since his November 2004, burial in Mountain View Cemetery, a continual stream of fans have visited the grave site of the hip-hop artist, a local legend who has posthumously gained soaring notoriety, a cemetery official said.
One of those rabid fans may have dug up the granite grave marker and hauled off the 50-pound stone, said Bernard Hicks, uncle of the late Andre "Mac Dre" Hicks.
"We just think it's some kind of fan. Some crazed fan who put it in their house," said Hicks whose family was notified of the theft by Oakland police on Tuesday.
"They said it was taken and they didn't have no suspects. They didn't know who took it," said Hicks of Vallejo. "That's all we know right now."
An Oakland police official contacted late Friday was unaware of the alleged theft.
A cemetery official, who wished to remain anonymous, said a visitor to Mac Dre's grave a couple weeks ago told cemetery staff he couldn't find the plot. It was then that cemetery officials realized someone had dug out the marker, the official said.
"That week we had quite a few people coming in to visit the site," the cemetery official said. Mac Dre's plot lies up in the hills of the sprawling 223-acre cemetery. "We get a lot of visitors for him. They come to our office and ask, 'Where's Andre Hicks?' "
The official estimated the cemetery office gets about five to 10 inquiries every month from fans wanting to visit Mac Dre's plot.
Mac Dre was born in Oakland and grew up in Vallejo. He was shot and killed on a Kansas City, Mo. highway on Nov. 1, 2004, after an appearance at a local club. Who shot the rapper and why has never been determined, but in the months following his death rumors of a Bay Area/Kansas City rap war surfaced on hip hop Web sites.
Funeral services were held in Fairfield to an overflowing crowd. Mac Dre's body lay in a platinum-plated stainless steel basket lined with cardinal red crushed velvet, protected by a fiberglass shield. A mob scene accompanied his burial in Oakland as well.
Since his death Mac Dre has reached his highest commercial success, with record album sales soaring and popular souvenirs gobbled up by fans.
"I think he's gotten even bigger since (his death). His record is still selling off the chart. It seems like he'll never go away. A lot of people are just crazy about Mac Dre," his uncle said.
His immense popularity leads his family and others to speculate that a fan took the grave marker from the large cemetery, which is open to the public.
"It had to be someone taking it. Maybe wanting it for a souvenir," said the cemetery official who's worked there for 10 years without seeing another marker stolen.
Fans on hip hop Web sites have recently been spewing venom and threatening violence toward those responsible for the theft.
Hicks said it might be time to return his nephew's remains to Vallejo.
"We're not up there 24-7. We're not sure who's up there, who's hanging around up there," Hicks said. "I know one thing. In my opinion maybe we should have his body moved back to Vallejo. That way we can have a closer watch on everything. That's my personal opinion, I don't know that his mother would think about that."
A call to Mac Dre's mother was not returned immediately Friday.
The cemetery official said the family plans to replace the marker.
"When we do get it, we're going to try and do something to make it very difficult to remove," the official said. "I just hope it doesn't happen again."
Meanwhile, Hicks asks the perpetrator to just return the grave marker.
"There will be no trouble, no going to the police, we just want the headstone returned," Hicks said.
Mac Dre's uncle said he can't understand why someone would disrespect the grave site.
"Actually, I was pretty pissed off. We paid a pretty penny for that headstone, they don't come cheap. For someone to mess with his gravesite is pretty disturbing. Why would they do that?" Hicks said. "Everyone in the family is totally shocked."
- E-mail Matthias Gafni at mgafni@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6825.
http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_4243638
