Crowds gathered in the rain Monday to witness firsthand the renaming of the street in a Bed-Stuy New York neighborhood for the late rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
The corner of Fulton Street and St. James Place in Clinton Hill was named after the late rapper as “Christopher ‘Notorious B.I.G.’ Wallace Way.” During the renaming ceremony, Biggie’s mother, Voletta Wallace, as well as fellow rapper and ex-girlfriend Lil Kim were among those who spoke.
“This street is going to be a love street. People are going to come here and they’re going to know that a young man, my son, was living here,” Biggie Smalls’ mother said, according to CBS New York.
For Kim’s part, she said she “always knew this day was gonna come,” according to the Metro UK.
“I used to dream about a street being named after Biggie, because it was only right,” she said.
Others in attendance among fans were New York City Council member Laurie Cumbo, who addressed the crowd, and rapper Lil Cease.
The renaming follows a nearly six-year campaign spearheaded by LeRoy McCarthy, a Hollywood film crew worker. In November 2018, Rolling Stone reported the Brooklyn Community Board 2 voted to greenlight plans to rename the Brooklyn street where the late MC grew up.
“Honoring Biggie symbolizes more than just one man,” McCarthy told Rolling Stone that month. “It symbolizes a culture. It symbolizes a borough. It symbolizes a people, and hip-hop is worldwide.”
McCarthy celebrated the renaming by posting a photo on his Instagram page Monday with the caption, “It was all a Dream in August 2013, and now it is a reality: #ChristopherWallaceWay. S/O to family, friends, and fans of BIG, plus all supporters. #ThinkBIG 📸 @cydjones_”
Biggie was 24 years old when he was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles after leaving an after-party for the 1997 Soul Train Music Awards.
The results of his autopsy were released only within the last several years, 15 years after his death. To this day, the killing remains unsolved.
In death B.I.G. left behind a host of music for fans to remember him by. They include posthumously released albums “Life After Death,” which was his final studio effort, and “Born Again.”
