kids encyclopedia robot

Dresta facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Gangsta Dresta
Birth name Andre DeSean Wicker
Also known as
  • Gangsta Dresta
  • Big Dre
Born (1970-04-18) April 18, 1970 (age 54)
Compton, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
Years active 1993–present
Labels
  • Def Jam
  • Outburst
  • Ruthless
Associated acts

Andre DeSean Wicker (born April 18, 1970), better known by his stage name Gangsta Dresta, is an American rapper. He is best known for collaborating with Eazy-E on the 1993 single "Real Muthaphuckkin G's".

He is the older brother of rapper B.G. Knocc Out, who is also featured on the song. Together, they released their only studio album Real Brothas, in August 1995, which peaked at #128 on the Billboard 200. In 1996, the pair appeared on the remixed version of the South Central Cartel song, "Knock on Wood".

Early life

Andre Wicker was born and raised in Nutty Blocc in Compton, California. He and his brother Arlandis Hinton, also known as B.G. Knocc Out, became Nutty Blocc Compton Crips. He was convicted of assaulting another gang member in Compton in 1988, and was incarcerated at the California Youth Authority in Camarillo until 1993.

Music career

While Dresta was serving his five-year sentence, he started writing lyrics and rapping, gaining some notoriety. Within months of Dresta's release, he and B.G. Knocc Out signed to Eazy-E's Ruthless Records and made their debut on Eazy's 1993 multi-platinum EP It's On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa on the 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 and Snoop Dogg's various 'diss' records towards Eazy-E on Dr. Dre's debut album, The Chronic.

In 1995, Dresta and B.G. Knocc Out released their debut studio album Real Brothas, which remains their only album to date. At the 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 and appeared on two tracks from Death Row's Too Gangsta for Radio compilation, but never actually signed to the record 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 album Detox, but Dre didn't want to collaborate with him. He criticized Dr. Dre for surrounding himself with mediocre artists and the numerous delays of his Detox album.

Discography

Collaboration albums

  • Real Brothas with B.G. Knocc Out (1995)
kids search engine
Dresta Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.