Initially known as Dre Dog, Bay Area rapper Andre Nickatina has become a fixture in the local scene by ignoring trends and staying true to his gangsta sound. • Nickatina hails from the Fillmore section of San Francisco. • Recording under the name Dre Dog, he dropped his debut album, The New Jim Jones, in 1993. • The rapper changed his name to Andre Nickatina in 1997 and went on to release projects like Cocaine Raps (1997) and Raven in My Eyes (1998). • In 2008, Nickatina released A Tale of Two Andres, featuring collaborations with late Bay Area icon Mac Dre. • His self-titled 2013 album reached No. 21 on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart and No. 14 on the Heatseekers Albums tally. • Rather than chase down record deals, Nickatina has released much of his music via his own Fillmore Coleman label.