"It ain't easy being me, believe that...I'm under a gangster oath. Live, learn, uplift -- I plead the fifth."

On March 2, 2006, rapper Andre Dow - better known as Mac Minister - was arrested due to his retaliation for the murder of Bay Area legend Mac Dre. Now nine years later, Minister continues to serve his quadruple life sentences without the possibility of parole on a double murder charge and two counts of conspiracy to commit murder. In this exclusive phone interview he speaks on missing his daughter and family dearly and wishes he could provide for them, but says he walked out of the courtroom on the day of his conviction knowing he'd see them again and is "just going through the formalities" as he awaits an appeal.

Mac Minister feels like the legal system has been against him from day one and says "they f**ked up in the worst kind of way" with his case. While speaking to VladTV he states that they needed either DNA evidence, a weapon, or an eyewitness testimony to rightly convict him, to which he says "in my case they don't have none of the three." Instead, Minister says his own attorney turned on and testified against him, as well as an FBI informant by the name of Antoine whom he'd never met that "goes around the country testifying for the feds."

After hearing his story, Mac hopes rappers will stop glamorizing prison life, and even has a message for the kids who look up to them: "Prison is for suckers...Just know one thing for sure: when you come to the penitentiary, they gon' strip you naked and look in your booty. If you want a motherf***er looking in your booty, [then] bring your 'ol tough a*s on to the penitentiary." Mac, who still refuses to this day to get stripped and checked, has been under 24-hour lockdown several times for what he calls "not compromising my integrity." Minister even shared stories of seeing several spirits at times of inmates who committed suicide or were killed by their corrections officers. Mac, who at times "would see some sh*t walk by" and then get up to check it out only to not find anyone around, consulted with another inmate who told him "there's some spirits around this b*tch." Today, he won't even let an officer handcuff him if he feels bad vibes, unwilling to end up another slain inmate.

The rest of the interview includes Mac Minister speaking about his "no snitching" policy, as well as actor Mike Epps giving him money while in prison. "The comedian is the realest motherf***er," he says with a more positive tone. Minister is currently trying to raise $50,000 for his appeal, and gave out his contact information if anyone wishes to help him "win and get home" or simply wants to include him on their track. Stating that he has various "intros and outros" available, he ends by saying "help me help you. Let me talk this sh*t so we could spread this game." Listen above for more.

To reach Mac Minister by mail, send all inquiries to:
Andre Dow
PO Box 650
High Desert State Prison, Indian Springs, NV 89070

To reach him by phone, call (702) 290-7985.