At the corner of Fulton Street and St. James Place in Clinton Hill, people were stopping on their commutes this morning to snap a photograph of the new honorific street name for Notorious B.I.G., born as Christopher Wallace, who grew up on this very block in Brooklyn. The Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace Way joins a number of other honorific street names named after New York City musicians, including the Wu-Tang Clan District on Staten Island, Run DMC JMJ Way in Queens, Miles Davis Way on the Upper West Side, Joey Ramone Place in the East Village, and more.
A formal ceremony took place yesterday, capping off five years of efforts to get the street named after Notorious B.I.G. aka Biggie Smalls and was attended by musician Lil Kim and Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo. According to Gothamist, some of the reasons the initial attempts to get the street sign passed in Brooklyn Community Board 2 were over his lyrics, with one person also objecting that the hip hop artist was “too fat to be honored.” This morning, people of all races were stopping by to snap a photograph – Notorious B.I.G.’s influence appears to be one ultimately, born in New York City.
A new mural of Notorious B.I.G. by Vincent Ballentine was also painted as part of the occasion on the corner opposite from the street sign:
Next, check out 8 Places in NYC Named After Famous Musicians.
