“Tried to Put Oakland on Map”: $160 Million Worth Stephen Curry Reveals Why He’s Producing Documentary on Bay Area Rap Legend

Pretty much every corner of the world knows Stephen Curry as the best marksman in the NBA. Absolutely no one can question it. And now it seems like the 35-year-old is trying to wiggle his way through other avenues. Well, the film world to be more specific. With his Unanimous Media, launched in 2018, Curry has been putting out shows and podcasts that are inspirational. 

The company has many projects to its credit, the recent one being the documentary, Stephen Curry: Underrated. In September, they announced a new documentary, still untitled, chronicling the life of rapper, Mac Dre. 

Why did they choose Mac Dre?

Recently, Steph was asked the reason he and his co-founder Erick Peyton chose Mac Dre. He explained, “I understand how much he impacted, not just hip-hop culture, but culture in general…”

Mac Dre was born as Andre Hicks in Oakland, California. He pioneered the Hyphy movement in the early 2000s and was instrumental in bringing eyes to the Bay Area. This subgenre of hip-hop has an up-tempo, hyperactive beat. Unfortunately, the world did not get to see more of the genius. He lost his life in a shooting in 2004, with the case still open.

With his party anthems like “Feelin’ Myself,” “Get Stupid,” “Thizzle Dance” and his eccentric persona, Dre has inspired many of today’s rappers like G-Eazy, Yo Gotti. They’ve all been inspired by the influence Dre had in their career. Drake brought out the late rapper’s mother, Wanda Salvatto, at one of his concerts in 2016, the year rumors of a Dre documentary began. An interesting connection here is that the concert was in San Francisco and the Curry family was in attendance.

Letting the world know Dre’s legacy

Further elaborating his reason for honoring the artist, Curry stated, “I played 10 years in Oakland. There’s a phase and moments where you kind of tip your cap and have a subtle nod to who he was and his presence within the Bay and within Oakland. When that opportunity came, it made sense because we’ve tried to find a lot of ways to put Oakland on a map, put the Bay on the map, and tell the stories I need to be told.”

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Dre’s mother, Wanda Salvatto, is known to be low-key. But even she has given her blessings for this project with a promise to be involved. In a statement to Billboard, she said, “I look forward to sharing how from Andre’s dreams of rapping emerged a blueprint that not only inspired a generation but also became a guide to conquering obstacles and fulfilling their entrepreneurial dreams”.

The rapper’s legacy tends to go underappreciated outside of the Bay Area hip-hop scene. But there’s a hope that, with this documentary, more people would recognize his influence and significance in American hip-hop history.

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