B.G. Knocc Out & Dresta: The Compton Brothers Biography, Career and Legacy

B.G. Knocc Out (born Arlandis Tremel Hinton, January 23, 1975) and Dresta (born André DéSean Wicker, April 18, 1970), also known as Gangsta Dresta, are two brothers (half-brothers) from Compton, California. They are best known for their collaboration on “Real Muthaphuckkin G’s” and their only joint album, Real Brothas (1995).

Childhood and Environment

The two brothers grew up in Compton and Watts, mainly in the Nutty Blocc neighborhood. They are affiliated with the Nutty Blocc Compton Crips set.

Dresta is the older brother. B.G. Knocc Out started selling weed at the age of 12: he would buy $100 worth of marijuana, roll around a hundred joints, and sell them on the school bus, while also selling candy. He was first arrested at 12 for selling to an undercover officer.

They witnessed the arrival of crack in Compton firsthand. Dresta recalls the neighborhood going from a relatively calm place to one where teenagers were becoming “crack millionaires” overnight. The massive influx of automatic weapons during the 1980s completely changed the level of violence.

Dresta’s Incarceration

In 1988, Dresta was convicted of assaulting another gang member. He spent approximately five years at the California Youth Authority in Camarillo. It was in prison that he really began writing and freestyling, building a reputation as a rapper among the inmates.

Discovery and Breakthrough (1993)

After being released from prison in 1993, Dresta’s reputation as a rapper was already circulating in the streets. Two associates of Eazy-E (Jim Bob / Big Daddy Pat) heard about the two brothers. He brought Dresta into the studio. Eazy told him about the beef with Dre and Snoop. Dresta wrote all the lyrics for what would become “Real Muthaphuckkin G’s,” including Eazy-E’s verses.

The following day, Dresta brought his younger brother. B.G. Knocc Out was not originally supposed to be on the song. The beat accidentally ran longer than expected, and someone told him to try something. He freestyled his entire verse on the spot, while high on weed. They kept it.

B.G. was 18 years old and still in high school. When the video came out, his life changed completely. He dropped out of school because he was “no longer used to” normal life.

The single appeared on Eazy-E’s EP It’s On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa. It reached No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the most famous diss tracks in hip-hop history.

Real Brothas (1995)

Following the impact of “Real Muthaphuckkin G’s,” the two brothers began working on their own album as early as 1994. After Eazy-E’s death in March 1995, they signed with Outburst Records, a subsidiary of Def Jam. The executive producers were Anthony “Anti” Lewis and Greedy Greg.

According to B.G. Knocc Out, Def Jam was not particularly enthusiastic about signing Dresta. Negotiations were tense, and they accepted a reduced advance in order to remain together as a duo.

The album Real Brothas was released on August 15, 1995.

It reached:

• No. 128 on the Billboard 200
• No. 15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart
• No. 5 on the Heatseekers chart

Singles included “Jealousy,” “50/50 Luv,” and “D.P.G./K.”

“D.P.G./K” (short for Dogg Pound Killas) is a direct diss track aimed at Tha Dogg Pound (Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Daz, Kurupt, and Nate Dogg). It was the brothers’ response to “What Would U Do?” by Tha Dogg Pound, which had attacked them. The song was released as the B-side to “50/50 Luv” and quickly became one of the album’s best-known tracks, extending the Ruthless vs. Death Row feud.

The album reportedly sold approximately 250,000 to 300,000 copies.

The Golf Course Fight (Summer 1995)

A few weeks after the album’s release, during the summer of 1995, tensions between the Ruthless camp and Death Row / Tha Dogg Pound were still extremely high because of “Real Muthaphuckkin G’s” and “D.P.G./K.”

The two brothers were at the filming of Montell Jordan’s “Something for the Honeys” video at Sherwood Country Club. Nate Dogg and around fifteen people from the Death Row camp were also present.

The two groups crossed paths and began shouting their respective sets at each other (Nutty Blocc vs. Dogg Pound). The atmosphere quickly escalated. Nate Dogg, driving a golf cart, made a move that ran over B.G. Knocc Out’s foot. Some accounts claim that he deliberately aimed for him.

B.G. confronted Nate. The situation immediately escalated into a full-scale fight. Nate grabbed a golf club and struck Dresta. Dresta blocked the blow with his hand, breaking it, and the end of the club hit him on the head. The club broke from the force of the impact. Dresta later said that the blow could have killed him.

Security personnel and undercover police officers intervened and stopped the fight.

B.G. Knocc Out’s Prison Sentence and Aftermath

In 1998, B.G. Knocc Out was sentenced to ten years in prison for attempted murder. The duo effectively stopped working together at that point.

After his brother’s incarceration, Dresta collaborated with Death Row Records. In 2000, he appeared on two tracks from the compilation Too Gangsta for Radio: “Give It Up for Compton” and “Too Gangsta” (with Young Hoggs). However, he never officially signed with the label.

Dresta also wrote a song for Dr. Dre’s Detox album, but Dre chose not to collaborate with him. Dresta later criticized Dre for surrounding himself with mediocre artists and for the numerous delays surrounding Detox.

After his release from prison, B.G. Knocc Out returned to music independently, while Dresta continued releasing mixtapes such as Dirty West and making guest appearances.

Orlando Anderson

B.G. Knocc Out was very close to Orlando Anderson (Baby Lane), the man accused of killing 2Pac. They were best friends. One of their brothers is married to Orlando’s sister. B.G. has consistently stated that Orlando never told him that he had shot Tupac; he only told him that he was being accused.

Style and Legacy

Decades later, Real Brothas has become a cult classic of West Coast rap. Through its street narratives, the rivalries of the era, and the brothers’ loyalty to their Compton roots, B.G. Knocc Out and Dresta left a distinctive mark on the history of gangsta rap. Their authenticity, chemistry, and loyalty to one another remain central to their legacy.