Tupac Shakur Way: Oakland Renames Street After Hip-Hop Legend - Spotify Vibes

Oakland, California, has honored the late hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur by renaming a section of MacArthur Boulevard in his honor. The street renaming ceremony was attended by family, friends, and fans of the rapper, who lived in Oakland in the early 1990s and embraced it as his adopted hometown.

Oakland Honors Tupac Shakur with Street Name

Oakland, California, has paid tribute to the late hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur by renaming a section of MacArthur Boulevard in his honor nearly 27 years after his tragic killing. The stretch of MacArthur Boulevard between Grand Avenue and Van Buren Avenue, where the rapper once lived, is now called Tupac Shakur Way.

The new street name was unveiled on Friday, November 3, 2023, during a ceremony attended by family, friends, and fans of the legendary rapper. Among the speakers were Tupac's sister Sekyiwa "Set" Shakur, rapper MC Hammer, radio personality Sway Calloway, and Oakland City Councilwoman Carroll Fife, who led the effort to rename the street.

Sekyiwa Shakur said her brother "died at 25 years old in gang violence, by the hands of another Black man, by the planning of another Black man, whoever that man may be". She also said her brother "loved this place. He loved Oakland" and "let his spirit live on the rest of these years in these streets and in your hearts". She announced that the family plans to plant a peace pole at the location, marking the legacy beyond the music they hope their brother will leave for generations to come.

MC Hammer, who spent many of Tupac's final months with him before his 1996 shooting death in Las Vegas, said that Tupac was "hands down, the greatest rapper ever, there's not even a question of that". He also praised Tupac's leadership, innovation, duality, and fight for the people.

Tupac Shakur was born in New York and raised there and in Baltimore, but he moved with his mother to the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1980s. He lived in Oakland in the early 1990s and embraced it as his adopted hometown. He got his start in music with the group Digital Underground and wrote his first album in Oakland. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and best-selling artists of all time, with over 75 million records sold worldwide.

The Oakland City Council voted unanimously to rename the street after Tupac in May 2023, following a petition that gathered over 10,000 signatures. Councilwoman Fife said that Tupac "claimed Oakland" and "said Oakland gave him his game". She also said that "the same things that made who Tupac was, what he was fighting for and trying to lift up through his music is what we are fighting for today".

The street renaming ceremony coincided with the day after a former Southern California street gang leader named Duane Keith "Keffe D" Davis pleaded not guilty to murder in the Las Vegas shooting death of Tupac, a charge prompted by his own descriptions in recent years about orchestrating the deadly drive-by shooting. Davis is the only person still alive who was in the vehicle from which shots were fired and the only person ever charged with a crime in the case.

Tupac Shakur Way is the latest honor for the rapper, who has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Hip Hop Hall of Fame, and the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. He also has a statue in Atlanta, a mural in Los Angeles, and a museum in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Conclusion: 

Tupac Shakur Way is a fitting tribute to the rapper who made Oakland his home and influenced millions of people with his music and message. The street renaming ceremony was a celebration of his life and legacy, as well as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for justice and peace. Tupac Shakur remains one of the most revered and respected artists in history, and his spirit lives on in the hearts of his fans and the streets of Oakland.

Watch Latest Videos on TrendyClipz