California to Honor Late Hip-Hop Legend Tupac Shakur with Street Name, 27 Years After His Fatal Shooting

The legendary hip-hop rapper Tupac Shakur is going to be honored by the city of Oakland, California, which has voted to rename a street after Shakur, 27 years after his tragic death as a result of a shootout, reports CBS News.

The state of California earlier revealed that they would be renaming a street in Oakland in honor of the rapper who changed the meaning of rapping by packing a depth of raw emotion and talent in each of the songs he released until his unfortunate death in 1996.

Earlier this week the city council revealed in a unanimous vote to rename part of the street running from Grand Avenue to Van Buren Avenue, both located in the rustic and incredible MacArthur Boulevard. The outlet reports that this street, where Shakur once lived, will be renamed "Tupac Shakur Way." 

This is the same stretch of land that changed Tupac Shakur's way of life, giving immense meaning and depth to everything that followed, including his shot to fame. Before moving to California to pursue his passion, the artist took residence in Baltimore, New York. However, he had reportedly claimed that he "got his 'Game' from Oakland." Tupac Foundation even vouched to cover all expenses necessary for plaques and signage contributing to the street name change. 

According to reports from The Guardian, the hip-hop star certainly had his run-in with the law back when he lived in Oakland. Back in 1990, he was practically tackled with excessive force to the ground for jaywalking, and he sued the cops for a total of $10 million. The lawsuit eventually ended with Shakur settling the case for $42,000 in 1991, and the case was dismissed after the settlement. 

Shakur was packed with bucketloads of talent, passion, and empathy, and it resonated in his music as an artist, garnering him a unique identity that's incredibly difficult to foster. The Hit Em Up rapper was only 25 years old and in Las Vegas where he was shot in a drive-by, and he succumbed to his wounds shortly after. Fans and fellow colleagues in the entertainment industry were left shocked and heartbroken when news of his tragic death emerged.

His song Brenda's Got A Baby featured the retro vibe of Oakland City throughout the monochrome video. The song was based on a true story of a teenage mother who was murdered and her baby who was left all alone. The song emphasized her heartbreaking story through words that perfectly captured and echoed the reality of many young women who have undergone gruesome circumstances such as having a difficult upbringing and living with uncertainties. The song also talks about their inability to have hopes and dreams because they're, as Shakur says, from "The Ghetto." The video has 54 million views and is flooded with comments from fans who still commend this song as one of the best-written rap songs to exist.

Although the legendary rapper isn't alive to see the impact his contributions to the music industry have had, his art will forever live on as an incredible legacy as it paved the way for a newer generation of rappers who constantly garner information from his resonant songs.