New York community board object to Notorious B.I.G street name change

Fans of late hip-hop legend Notorious B.I.G have been campaigning hard for the rapper’s childhood street corner of St James Place & Fulton Street in Brooklyn to be renamed the Christopher Wallace Way after the MC himself. This could have hit a problem, however, with the local community board objecting to such a plan.

The petition was recently started by LeRoy McCarthy and collected 3000 signatures, three times their 1000 signatures target. But now, members of the community have complained about what they see as a less than favourable role model.

Board member Lucy Koteen said she ”looked up the rapper’s history” and found that he “started selling drugs at 12″, was “a school dropout at 17″, plus had numerous brushes with the law during his lifetime. “I don’t see how this guy was a role model and frankly it offends me.”

McCarthy, who started the campaign, was in attendance at the hearing, arguing: “There are many artists that share stories in a vernacular that their audiences understand. Biggie used the language from the streets he grew up in to convey what he wanted to say.”

Councilwoman Letitia James holds the power to approve or decline the motion, but has not yet commented on the matter.

[via Pitchfork]