| Awesome Dré | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Birth name |
Andre R. Acker |
|
Origin |
Detroit, Michigan, United States |
|
Genre |
Hip hop, East Coast hip hop, hardcore hip hop, political hip hop |
|
Occupation(s) |
Rapper, record producer |
|
Years active |
1988-present |
|
Label |
Just Chillin' Records (1988) |
Andre R. Acker, known professionally as Awesome Dré, is an American rapper. He is known for helping to popularise political hip hop in the late 1980s and was the first hip hop artist from Detroit to have an album released on a major label when You Can't Hold Me Back was repressed by Priority Records in 1989. Awesome Dré released two albums with his group The Hardcore Committee before fading into obscurity in the 1990s.
Raised in Detroit, Michigan, Awesome Dré joined the Vice Lords street gang at the age of 14. He began writing rap lyrics when he was aged 15. Awesome Dré made his debut as a solo artist with the single "Hard Core" in 1988.
He also makes several guest appearances for the hip hop artists including Insane Clown Posse (ICP), Shaggy 2 Dope, Violent J, Blaze, Esham, Big Herk, Merciless Amir, Lichelle Laws, Champtown, Doe Dubbla, Finale, Killa Smuv, 5 Ela, Leaf Erikson, The Davis Way, D'Phuzlon, Motsi-Ski, Chachi, B.L.A.K.E. Eerle, Dante, Deck, DJ Los, Journalist 103 and Venus Sky.
In 2016, Awesome Dré released an EP, A.D.E.P., which marked his first release of new solo material in over twenty years.
Discography[]
EPs[]
- 2016: A.D.E.P.
Collaborative albums[]
- 1989: You Can't Hold Me Back (with The Hardcore Committee)
- 1993: A.D.'s Revenge (with The Hardcore Committee)
Singles[]
- 1988: Hard Core
- 1988: Out of Reach / Lame Loser (with The Hardcore Committee)
- 1988: You Can't Hold Me Back / Committing Rhymes (with The Hardcore Committee)
- 1989: Frankly Speaking / Executioner Style (with The Hardcore Committee)
- 1993: A.D.'s Revenge With Don Sysko / Wartime (with The Hardcore Committee)
Compilation albums[]
- TBA: Best of Awesome Dre: Volume 1
Compilations with Awesome Dre[]
- Various - On the Rap Tip (1989, Priority Records)
- Various - Urban October 1989 (1989, Rockamerica)
- Various - Explicit Rap (1990, Priority Records)
- Esoteric - The Seamus Test (2006, Fly Casual Creative)
- Various - The Hip Hop Gods Classic Tourfest Revue (2012, SPIT Digital Recordings)
Guest appearances[]
- Champtown - Now or Never Ni-ga! (1999, Straight Jacket Records); guest vocals on "Now or Never Ni-ga" (with D'Phuzlon and Motsi-Ski)
- Doe Dubbla - Stackn (Disc 1) (2008, In-A-Minute Records); guest vocals on "Born & Raised" (with Chachi)
- DJ Clay - Let 'Em Bleed The Mixxtape: Volume 2 (2008, Psychopathic Records); guest vocals on "4ever Detroit" (with Blaze and Violent J)
- DJ Clay - Let 'Em Bleed The Mixxtape: Volume 3 (2008, Psychopathic Records); guest vocals on "Can't Hold Me Back "08" (with Big Herk, Esham, Merciless Ameer, Lichelle Laws and Shaggy 2 Dope)
- Dante & Deck - The Fixtape 2 Still Broke (2008, Havoc Productions); guest vocals on "Take Pennies (Vicarious/Awesome Dre Drop)"
- Finale - A Pipe Dream And A Promise (2009, Interpendent Media); guest vocals on "Arrival & Departure"
- Motown Rage - With Us or Against Us (2009, Hatchet House/Psychopathic); guest vocals on "Welcome to the Slaughterhouse" (with Doe Dubbla)
- Mike E. Clark - Psychopathic Murder Mix Volume 1 (2009, Psychopathic Records); guest vocals on "Neck Cutter (The Loons Remix)" (with Insane Clown Posse (ICP))
- Insane Clown Posse - Bang Pow Boom (2009, Psychopathic Records); guest skit vocals
- Doe Dubbla, Killa Smuv - Hiatus (2012, In-A-Minute Records); guest vocals on "Murder 1 Remix"
- Big Hoodoo - Crystal Skull (2013, Psychopathic Records); guest vocals on "Mountain Climbing"
- 5 Ela - Global Warming 2022 (2014, Independent); guest vocals on "Intro: Napalm" (with DJ Los, Journalist 103, and Venus Sky)
- Leaf Erikson - Moonlight Over Mt. Sinai (2021, Architect Entertainment); guest vocals on "Dreamin' on a '64" (with B.L.A.K.E. Eerle)
- The Davis Way - Monumental (2022, Architect Entertainment); guest vocals on "Awesome Finale" (with Finale)
Filmography[]
- Big Money Rustlas (2010) - Scruffy Scrub #4
- The Untold Story of Detroit Hip Hop (2018) - Himself