The corner of Fulton Street and St. James Place in Brooklyn has been renamed in honor of the late Notorious B.I.G. Family, friends, associates, and public officials braved the rainy weather to gather at what is now Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace Way for a small ceremony marking the occasion; Lil’ Kim, Lil’ Cease, DJ Mister Cee, and Brooklyn Borough president Eric Adams were among the attendees, as was Biggie’s mother, Voletta Wallace.
“This street is going to be a love street,” said Wallace. “People are going to come here and they’re going to know that a young man, my son, was living here.”
Newly elected public advocate Jumaane Williams spoke about what the Notorious B.I.G.’s music meant to him. “We’re celebrating Biggie,” he told the crowd. “We’re celebrating hip hop. We’re celebrating ourselves.”
Said New York City Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo: “During the time that Biggie created masterpieces, this neighborhood was redlined; people didn’t want to live here, people moved out of the neighborhood, they had left us to die.”
Back in December, the New York City Council voted unanimously to approve the renaming. Earlier this year, the southeast portion of Vanderbilt Avenue and Targee Street in Staten Island was dubbed the Wu-Tang Clan District, per the council’s vote; a street in Coney Island is also set to be named in honor of Woody Guthrie.
Watch the entire renaming ceremony via CBS.
