Too $hort has been a prominent figure in hip hop culture for over 40 years. He’s considered a legend in the game and now his city, Oakland, is naming a street after him.
Thanks to the Oakland City Council and the requests of Mayor Libby Schaaf and Councilman Noel Gallo, Foothill Boulevard between High Street and 47th Avenue will be renamed “Too $hort Way.”
“There’s an understanding that we should recognize him, based not only on his talent and contributions but also just honoring and respecting those who have come before us and given back to the city,” said Gallo, who first introduced the idea of honoring the icon. Oakland will host a ceremony on Dec. 10 to officially reveal “Too $hort Way.”
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The street runs alongside his alma mater, Fremont High School, a community swimming pool, taco truck and several street art murals, including a painting of another Bay Area rap legend, the late Mac Dre.
The honor will come a day after the release of Mount Westmore‘s self-titled album. The hip hop supergroup consists of West Coast legends $hort, E-40, Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube. The album will include 16 tracks. On Dec. 2, the group released its latest single, “Activated.”
Too $hort began his music career as a teenager rapping about the struggles of the East Oakland streets. In high school, he played the drums in the Fremont band, which eventually helped him discover a sound that led to him having a long, successful music career. The Bay Area legend helped create Oakland’s distinctive sound and style in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which brought national attention to the city’s hip hop scene. His discography includes 22 studio albums, plus six Platinum and four Gold records.