Oakland to rename portion of MacArthur Boulevard after Tupac Shakur
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Oakland will rename a stretch of MacArthur Boulevard after rap legend Tupac Shakur.
Oakland’s City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to rename a stretch of MacArthur Boulevard after the late rapper Tupac Shakur.
MacArthur Boulevard between Grand and Van Buren avenues will soon hold the commemorative name Tupac Shakur Way, according to a city resolution passed Tuesday. This stretch of MacArthur is where the rapper once called home.
Shakur was born in Harlem, New York City, but always held a deep fondness for Oakland after growing up in Marin City. His work with Oakland-based alternative hip-hop group Digital Underground is what launched his career. Shakur would eventually go on to sell over 75 million albums worldwide and be widely considered one of the most influential rap icons in history.
“MacArthur Boulevard between Grand Avenue and Van Buren Avenue where he once lived serves to remind us of his contributions to Oakland and our communities through the celebration of art and culture as an awakening tool towards changes in society,” the city resolution states.
Oakland has a history of using commemorative street names to honor artists and community leaders – in December, the city named a three-block stretch of Foothill Boulevard “Too $hort Way” after the iconic rapper. Other commemorative street names in Oakland include Joe Morgan Way, Herbert Guice Way, Peter Van Kleef Way, Dr. Huey P. Newton Way, Deontae Bush Way, and Dorothy King Way.
“Tupac Shakur’s legacy will continue through his contributions in art and social outreach, through his family and fans, touching countless lives of children and elders over the years while alive and after his death, taken too young by gun violence,” the resolution states.