New York City Rappers Who Deserve Streets Named After Them

New York City and hip-hop have an interesting relationship.

Hip-hop was born in the city, fathered by a Jamaican immigrant in his late teens who was DJing a party for his younger sister in the Bronx during the summer of 1973. While DJ Kool Herc unconsciously birthed the genre, its origins were already brewing on the streets of New York City. It was unfocused energy; a distinct restlessness that Kool Herc harnessed that fateful night almost 41 years ago.

Hip-hop is no an ungrateful child, either. The anthems celebrating the boroughs and the city as a whole are numerous, but the city has been hesitant to officially reciprocate the love for hip-hop and its icons. In August 2009, 205th Street and Hollis Avenue in Queens was co-named "Run-DMC/Jam Master Jay Way," a tribute to the pioneering group and their DJ, who was murdered in 2002. 

Where is the representation of hip-hop's birthplace in New York City and how much respect has been given to hip-hop in New York City?

Last May, Palmetto Playground in Brooklyn was named Adam Yauch Park in honor of Adam "MCA" Yauch of the Beastie Boys, who lost his battle with cancer in May 2012. The state recognized the building Kool Herc grew up in as the official "birthplace of hip-hop" in 2007, but short of that and the other two aforementioned honors, the city has been cautious about honoring hip-hop formally, substantially and visually.

LeRoy McCarthy of Brooklyn has taken on the ambitious task of starting petitions for the co-naming of hip-hop figures in boroughs across the city. Though his two biggest initiatives—"Christopher Wallace Way" in Brooklyn and "Beastie Boys Square" in Manhattan—have garnered public support, they've both been rejected by the governing bodies in their respective neighborhoods. In a 2013 interview with City Guide, McCarthy questioned New York City's respect for hip-hop on a government level, despite its willingness to reap the benefits.

"Since 1973—40 years—how much money has hip-hop made for New York City? Where is the representation of hip-hop’s birthplace in New York City and how much respect has been given to hip-hop in New York City?" he asked. "I think that New York City has been suppressing hip-hop and hip-hop culture since the very beginning, yet still taking the money generated from it. All of the popping bottles in the club and all of the fashion that trickles down to New York Fashion Week, a lot of that is influenced by hip-hop culture and there was a lot of money made off of that."

Nas, a Queens native and irrefutable hip-hop legend, agrees that hip-hop deserves more appropriate official recognition from the city. "We represented [for] New York so much. Why not?" he asked during a conversation with City Guide earlier this year. "We are the language of the streets."

As the fight to honor hip-hop in New York City continues, City Guide has chosen to highlight a pack of artists who deserve this distinction from the city. It includes campaigns started by McCarthy and others, as well as many that should to be started. The sooner those conversations begin, the better for hip-hop and the better for New York City.

The time to bridge the gap is now.

Written by Julian Kimble (@JRK316)

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Artist: Big Daddy Kane
Address: Lewis Ave., between Lafayette Ave. & Van Buren St.
Neighborhood: Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn

Big Daddy Kane was the total package. He could rap circles around you ("Raw"), coax your girl away like a snake charmer ("Smooth Operator") or drop guest verses on tracks from legends like Patti LaBelle ("Feels Like Another One"). He wouldn't hesitate to battle you on the corner (in a suit) in front of a crowd, and he'd most likely emerge victorious with new male and female fans.

That suave, yet fearless aesthetic was cultivated on the streets of Brooklyn, specifically on Lewis Avenue, between Lafayette Avenue and Van Buren Street, as he says on 1993's "Stop Shammin'": "158 Lewis Avenue/Between Lafayette and Van Buren/That was back during/The days of hangin' on my Bed-Stuy block."

Last year, Kane—who moved to North Carolina in 2000—told City Guide that visiting his native Brooklyn these days is like stepping into another world. "All my memories are gone," he said. "It’s not like I can go to the Empire and put my feet up on the back of someone else’s seat so the rats don’t run across my feet. It’s not like I can go see great Kung fu flicks on The Deuce for $1.50. It’s not like I can go and get some of that good-ass pizza right there across the street from where Albee Square Mall used to be, or even go to the Albee Square Mall."

The Bed-Stuy that raised Kane may be gone, but it should honor the King Aziatic Nobody's Equal, an icon who fathered styles still prevalent today. He's certainly earned it.

Artist: 50 Cent
Address: 116th Ave & 207th St.
Neighborhood: Cambria Heights, Queens

Everyone knows 50 Cent's story by now. He detailed it so eloquently on the opening verse of "Hate It Or Love It," and he showed the masses in his biopic, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. 50's mercurial rise from potential statistic to rapper, actor an entrepreneur all began in Queens.

Before his unlikely ascent to the top, Curtis Jackson attended Andrew Jackson High School in Cambria Heights. He had already been selling drugs, but it was at Andrew Jackson that he got arrested after being caught with crack in his sneaker.

Andrew Jackson High School no longer exists, and although he's not the musical freight train that he once was, 50 is an undeniable success. How many people that he went to high school with do you think rub elbows with Meryl Streep and Bette Midler, or publicly beefed and reconciled with Oprah?

Amidst the success and occasional bullying, 50 isn't above philanthropy in the city. His G Unity Foundation hands out college grants, sponsors community events and even constructed a garden with Midler's restoration project. Considering his past, he understands the importance of giving back.

He beat the odds, cheated death, bought Mike Tyson's old mansion and had an Academy Award nominee direct the story of his life. New York City should recognize this man one day.

Artist: The Diplomats
Address: 140th St. & Lenox Ave.
Neighborhood: Harlem

When they all got along, they were brash, occasionally disrespectful and downright hilarious. The Diplomats—Cam'ron, Jim Jones, Freekey Zekey and Juelz Santana—are a collection of characters whose unmistakable aura was cultivated by Harlem.

"Just a kid from 140th & Lenox Ave, Harlem USA trying to make his way in the world," Cam said at the beginning of "Love My Life." He did the latter, and he put his friends on in the process. Even during forced reunions, the Diplomats carry an infectious vibe that will make the most buttoned-up, put-together person get indignant when they hear "Dipset Anthem."

Ten years ago, Cam had dudes bravely wearing pink. Not salmon, either—pink. Now he's on the runway at New York Fashion Week showing off custom capes designed with Mark McNairy, and that happened just months after him, his girlfriend JuJu and the infamous Cousin Bang turned Vine into Netflix. He's managed to stay relevant across decades. That's what the legends do.

But what really makes the Dips as a whole special is their distinct confidence, whether it's in fashion, slang or going head-to-head with Bill O'Reilly. That self assurance comes from Uptown, and that association with 140th & Lenox should be permanent.

Artist: Def Jam Records
Address: Weinstein Hall, New York University, 5 University Pl.
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village

It's a struggle to think of hip-hop without thinking of Def Jam Records, which began 30 years ago in Rick Rubin's dorm room.

Rubin was a student at NYU during the early '80s who knew he wanted to do something out of the box with music. He and DJ Jazzy Jay had already released T La Rock's "It's Yours" independently, but Def Jam went from a kid's dream to a something substantial when Rubin was introduced to a young Russell Simmons in 1984. The duo put out LL Cool J's "I Need a Beat" and the Beastie Boys "Rock Hard" and haven't looked back since.

Over the past three decades, Def Jam has risen to the forefront of urban music, weathering financial troubles and mergers to acquire well-known subsidiaries like Roc-A-Fella Records and GOOD Music. In 1998, DMX became the second rapper to have two No. 1 albums in one year, and Jay-Z climbed the ladder from artist to executive, serving as the label's president from 2004 to 2007.

Hip-hop's most historically powerful record label—which is still home to some of the biggest names in music—and one of the greatest labels of all time across all genres was born at one of the best schools in not only New York City, but the entire country. It would be a crime for the city not to acknowledge this.

Artist: A Tribe Called Quest
Address: Linden Blvd. & 191st St.
Neighborhood: St. Albans, Queens

23 years ago, A Tribe Called Quest proved they were the real deal with a thunderous kick followed by a discrete, jazzy sample on "Check the Rhime," the lead single from their sophomore effort, The Low End Theory.

Their debut, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, had been blessed with the coveted five mic rating from The Source a year earlier (their first of two) and the group was eager to further assert themselves as leaders of the new school, but in the song's opening lines, Q-Tip recalled the early days when they planted the seeds that would blossom into one of hip-hop's most seminal groups:

"Back in the days on the boulevard of Linden/We used to kick routines and the presence was fittin'"

Linden Boulevard is a major passageway in Queens, where Q-Tip and Phife grew up. As a tribute to their origin, the group shot the song's video atop Nu-Clear Cleaners on Linden. At that very moment in 1991, they had reached the apex of their young careers. Over two decades and a breakup later, they've reunited, dealt with more dysfunction, had it all explained by a documentary and remained one of the most important hip-hop collectives ever.

A Tribe Called Quest gave hip-hop arguably three of the best albums crafted for the genre, and one of the biggest moments at a critical stage in their career came atop a dry cleaners in Queens. If everything is truly fair when you're living in the city, that intersection should share its name with Tribe.

Artist: Nas
Address: Queensbridge Houses, 40th Ave. side
Neighborhood: Long Island City, Queens

"Yo, if this piano's the cake, then the words are the candles/Light it up, make a wish, and them angels will grant you"

Arresting, evocative lyrics like these are why Nas is recognized as one of the best to ever do it. On the hook to this song, "Project Windows," Ronald Isley croons softly over L.E.S.'s faint piano keys, recalling how "uninspired" he is by what he sees. The thing is, what a young Nasir Jones saw and experienced while living in the Queensbridge Houses did inspire the visions, thoughts and words that would later make him famous.

Nas chronicled his first 20 years spent in North America's largest public housing development on his sublime debut, Illmatic. Using production from the finest producers of the moment as his easel, Nas painted nine flawless pictures of life in Queensbridge with stunning proficiency.

Following the album's critical acclaim, he achieved commercial success, lost focus, regained it and built upon the prodigious skills he exhibited at 17 on "Live at the BBQ" in 1991. At 40, he remains hungry and productive when other artists his age are typically limping to the finish line.

Nas' observations—and, more important, the detail of those observations—regarding life in Queensbridge have made him arguably both hip-hop's greatest story teller and purest artist. When asked if we'd ever see a street named in his honor, he remained modest.

"I don’t know, are we? I hope so, that would be nice," he told City Guide. The day should come when the street's disciple turned street poet extraordinaire receives well-deserved merit from New York City.

Artist: Big Punisher
Address: Rogers Pl. & 163rd St.
Neighborhood: Longwood, Bronx

Not one person who's heard Big Pun's verses on "John Blaze" or "Twinz (Deep Cover '98)" will try and tell you he wasn't an amazing rapper with remarkable breath control. But even with his contributions to hip-hop on behalf of the Latino community, the initiative to co-name a Longwood intersection after Pun has been met with staunch opposition from the governing community board.

Pun's sister, Nicole Rodriguez, established a petition to co-name the intersection after him, but Community Board 2 in the Bronx rejected it, saying residents were uncomfortable with his lyrics. In February, Bronx native Shane Rossi posted a replica street sign he had made by the Department of Transportation at the intersection, guerrilla style. The sign remained in place for roughly two weeks before authorities ultimately removed it.

It's been fourteen years since his passing, and Pun still deserves some type of recognition from the city in the Bronx. At the very least, the issue should be revisited. A rogue sign isn't enough.

Artist: Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs

Location: 1710 Broadway

Neighborhood: Manhattan

When Sean Combs was an underclassman at Howard University, he grew tired of trekking back and forth from D.C. to New York City to intern at Uptown Records. He eventually dropped out of Howard to chase his dreams and my, has it ever worked out for him.

Puff Daddy (yes, he's "Puff Daddy" again), as evidenced by his various accomplishments over the past 20 years, is one of the most successful businessmen in hip-hop. His vision was realized through Bad Boy Entertainment, but he wasn't content to stop there. He entered the restaurant and fashion industries before strengthening his grip on the media (Revolt) and ventures involving the very finest of liquors (Cîroc and now DeLeón). And how could we forget Making the Band or him literally becoming the face of Proactiv?

He's a runaway success story with the resume to prove it, and continues to be an inspiration to young entrepreneurs everywhere. His influence and impact extend far beyond New York, but the city is where the empire originated. It wouldn't be out of line to co-name the street right outside of the building where the Bad Boy offices are located after Puff.

Not bad for a college dropout.

Artist: Jay-Z
Location: Marcy Houses, 648 Park Ave.
Neighborhood: Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn

Jay-Z is the rose that blossomed from the Brooklyn streets, against all odds. Where Nas entered the game on a pedestal, Jay-Z's route to success was a slow burn from drug dealer to mogul that began in the late 1980s when he was still a skinny teenager with a mouth full of gold.

The mark of a great artist is the ability to change with the times, and, like the intuitive businessman he's become, Jay has been able to stay a step ahead of trends, switching his style when appropriate. He's gone from rapping fast to rapping about things he really bought art that the Average Joe can never afford.

He was a late bloomer, not releasing his first album until he was 26, and he's more than made up for lost time in the almost 20 years since. Think of the accomplishments he dreamed of on the "In My Lifetime" remix, then think of how immature they seem in comparison to what he's attained now.

Jay might've best described his realization of the American Dream on Jay Electronica's "Shiny Suit Theory": "Can it be the same one on covers with Warren Buffett/Was ducking them undercovers, was warring with motherfuckers/Went from warring to Warren, undercovers to covers/If you believe in that sort of luck your screws need adjusting."

Jay-Z isn't quite the captain of the football team that married the equally successful captain of the cheerleading team and stunted on everyone at his high school reunion. He's the "immaculate conception of rapper-slash-hustlers" who married his equal, then stunted on the world. That's why he deserves a commemorative street sign, right in front of those "unfertile" Marcy lands that made him who he is today.

Artist: Boogie Down Productions
Address: 1122 Franklin Ave. at East 166th St.
Neighborhood: Morrisania, Bronx

As Boogie Down Productions, KRS-One, Scott La Rock and a young D-Nice became hip-hop pioneers, fusing genres and fearlessly taking on rivals Marley Marl and MC Shan in one of hip-hop's earliest and most notable battles.

Prior to any of that, BDP was born when Scott La Rock and KRS-One met at the Bronx's Franklin Armory Men's Shelter. La Rock was a social worker there; KRS-One a resident. Despite a rocky start to their relationship, the two eventually formed a bond, and then the group.

Just as BDP was taking off, La Rock was murdered in 1987 during the making of their second album, By All Means Necessary. KRS-One released the album and became one of hip-hop's most spellbinding figures, while La Rock remains frozen in time as his inspiration.

KRS-One has worked to advance the culture through education and a commitment to philanthropic work like the Stop the Violence Movement. He's been honored for his work, and both he and Boogie Down Productions are firmly cemented as legends. It can all be credited to KRS-One and La Rock's meeting at the shelter, and their legacy should be remembered at the intersection of Franklin Avenue and 166th Street.

Artist: DJ Kool Herc
Location: 1520 Sedgwick Ave.
Neighborhood: Morris Heights, Bronx

Hip-hop itself was born in a South Bronx apartment building, and over 40 years later, fans who proudly recite lyrics at parties across the globe should be showing their gratitude to it's creator: Kool Herc.

It was at a back to school party for his little sister in August of 1973 that a teenage Clive Campbell inadvertently introduced the genre. After showing off a new technique he had mastered involving turntables and a mixer, all with new records that he had purchased. With a slight of hand, the break beat was born.

What would go down as one of the most famous parties ever got even more interesting when Campbell's friend, Coke La Rock, grabbed the mic and started rapping over the breaks. Thus, hip-hop was born organically.

The state has already recognized the building as the birthplace of hip-hop, so the city should properly honor Campbell as the revolutionary responsible for bringing it to us. Four decades later, the children of the break beat are still dancing.

Artist: Mobb Deep
Location: Queenbridge Houses, 41st Ave. side
Neighborhood: Long Island City, Queens

Just barely out of their teens, Havoc and Prodigy slapped hip-hop in the mouth with gritty tales of life in Queensbridge (where Havoc grew up) on their landmark second album, The Infamous.

Mobb Deep relayed stories of life Queensbridge Houses and New York City just like Nas did, but with a darker, menacing undertone. Where Illmatic and Nas' subsequent releases are dramas, The Infamous and the albums that succeeded it are horror films.

The 40th Street side of the Queensbridge Houses is all Nas, so the 41st Street side belongs to Mobb Deep. They filmed the "Survival of the Fittest" video in Queensbridge, and they've evolved beyond the nightmarish surroundings of their youth. Their history should be archived and remembered outside of in 8 Mile.

Artist: LL Cool J
Location: Farmers Blvd. & Linden Blvd.
Neighborhood: St. Albans, Queens

Success? "It's a Queens thing," as LL Cool J might say.

For 30 years, the man born James Todd Smith has had the entertainment industry in a powerful sleeper hold. Since performing "I Can't Live Without My Radio" as a lanky teenager in Krush Groove, LL triumphed across several mediums, becoming a legendary MC (and not being shy about it, hence the title of his eighth album, G.O.A.T.), as well as a legitimate actor.

Part of LL's legacy is being one of the few rappers from hip-hop's "Golden Age" who's still active and relevant today, establishing a rock solid reputation in several forms of entertainment. He's gone from Krush Groove to MTV Unplugged, a Grammy winner to Grammy host who still holds down a role on NCIS: Los Angeles and never neglected the mic in the process.

On "Farmers Boulevard," LL paid homage to the guys he used to rhyme with when he was a youth in Queens. Now, he's the ultimate entertainer, and the "Famous Corner" where Linden and Farmers meet should be named after him. It's only fitting.

Artist: Wu-Tang Clan
Location: Targee St. & Sobel Ct.
Neighborhood: Park Hill, Staten Island

Largely from Staten Island, the Wu-Tang Clan has proudly repped the neighborhood since their debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), helped East Coast hip-hop re-establish itself during the fall of 1993.

LeRoy McCarthy, who created co-naming petitions for the Beastie Boys and the Notorious B.I.G., also started one for the Wu-Tang Clan District in Park Hill. "Through their individual careers, and [unity] as a group Wu-Tang Clan has been a dynamic force in music, arts, and culture," McCarthy wrote. "Through unpublicized actives over the years, Wu-Tang Clan has given support to many people and organizations in their childhood homes in the Stapleton Houses, and Park Hill."

Though all of them aren't from Staten Island, it's the neighborhood the group is the most closely associated with, proudly christening Staten Island "Shaolin," as a nod to their affinity for kung fu flicks. They've never been ashamed to let the world know they're "from the slums of Shaolin."

Wu-Tang's success in music, film and television—as well as their Staten Island pride—have been key to the neighborhood's esteem. As a result, McCarthy's petition should lead to the Wu-Tang District becoming a reality. Considering that Ol' Dirty Bastard passed away 10 years ago this November, the timing is perfect.

Artist: Notorious B.I.G.
Address: St. James St. & Fulton Pl.
Neighborhood: Clinton Hill, Brooklyn

Last August, Brooklyn resident LeRoy McCarthy started a petition to co-name the corner of St. James Street and Fulton Place "Christopher Wallace Way" in honor of the Notorious B.I.G., who grew up at 226 St. James Place. Despite being well-received from the local and hip-hop communities, Community Board 2 rejected it in predictable fashion.

During an October meeting, CB2 member Lucy Koteen cited Biggie's past transgressions, violent death and appearance (seriously?) as reasons why he wasn't worthy of the honor. "I don't see how this guy was a role model and frankly it offends me," she said.

Biggie's status as a role model depends on perspective. Was he an ex-drug dealer and a high school dropout? Yes. Did he meet an early, senseless demise? Yes. Should that be held against him? Absolutely not. If you want to discuss the content of his lyrics, understand that depiction isn't endorsement. With that said, it would be interesting to know how many CB2 fans enjoyed The Wolf of Wall Street. What comes out of your mouth is obviously going to be ugly if what you're describing is ugly.

Consider what Biggie did for his family. Consider how he made his mother's life better. Consider how, on "Sky's the Limit," he tells listeners they can be anything they want to be, regardless of where they're from. On the same song, he vowed to make sure that his daughter, T'yanna, got the best education possible (which happened, by the way). Also, his son, C.J., is now an actor. Biggie made it so that his children led a better life than he did. What parent doesn't want that? In addition, he became a inspirational, "ashy to classy" success story for people with similar beginnings. Doesn't that make him a role model?

Ready to Die, Biggie's critically-acclaimed first album (and the only one released while he was alive), turns 20 this September. The perfect homage to his legacy would be continuing the battle for Christopher Wallace Way.