Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood is the hometown of Uncle Luke, the frontman of the rap group 2 Live Crew. The city is preparing to name the street after one of the rapper’s biggest hits. NW 70th Street will soon be named “It’s Your Birthday” Street, after the 1994 song that remains a cult classic 30 years later.
The hype-man, whose real name is Luther Campbell, earned legendary status in the late 80s and 90s with a string of hit songs that featured raunchy lyrics over 808 beats, also known as Booty Bass. Campbell says that not only is he honored to have his work acknowledged in his hometown, but he also feels that Black artists from Miami deserve the recognition.
In March, lawmakers approved a proposal by County Commissioner Keon Hardemon to rename nearby streets in a 10-block stretch of Liberty City after songs by various Black artists from Miami. One of the streets, Trick Love The Kids Street, is named after a phrase from Trick Daddy’s “In Da Wind.” Another street will be named after the legendary Betty Wright, with the name “No Pain, No Gain” in honor of her classic song.
Hardemon also introduced a second resolution to rename NW 58th Street at NW 11th Avenue to Luther Campbell Way. The proposal was approved unanimously by the commission.
“When I’m dead and gone, new Liberty City residents who don’t know about me may wonder: ‘Who the hell is Luther Campbell?” They’ll Google me and find out I’m a free-speech icon who won rulings all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court,” the rap legend wrote in the Miami New Times.
Campbell notes that this historical legal battle allowed other artists the freedom to sample hit songs and the right to create music with explicit lyrics without the fear of arrest. The artist hopes that the renamed street will serve as inspiration.
“I want Luther Campbell Way to inspire young Black people to realize that they, too, can achieve their dreams, the artist wrote.
The official unveiling ceremony for Luther Campbell Way will occur on May 3, at 10 a.m. EST.
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