Rick Ross, Trina, Trick Daddy, and More Honored With Street Names in Miami

Miami is honoring artists hailing from its Liberty City neighborhood by naming streets after legendary songs. Some of the native artists honored include Rick Ross, Trick Daddy, Trina, City Girls, JT Money, Pitbull, and Flo Rida.

On Tuesday, Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners approved street names presented by District 3 Commissioner Keon Hardemon as part of the economic revival of the Liberty City neighborhood, NBC 6 South Florida reported.

“If you play this music to the people who are from this area, they are going to light up like it’s the Fourth of July,” Hardemon said. “The essence of this is to encourage economic development in our community.”

He added, “In the 1950s or so, during the time of segregation, 18th Avenue was the place to be. It had juke joints, it had bars, it had restaurants, and it had living quarters […] that’s why they named it Broadway.”

The street names are part of a revival to the city’s Broadway, which city officials hope will “compete” with Miami’s other buzzing neighborhoods, Hardemon said.

According to NBC 6, the selection process considered artists who had chart success, including landing on Billboard’s Hot 100 songs and 200 album charts. The selected artists must have also boosted the cultural identity and economy of Miami-Dade County through hosting concerts or various philanthropic efforts.

Locals reportedly didn’t fully welcome the initiative, as many had concerns with the lyrics of some of the selections. Because of those concerns, some street names were replaced, including Jacki-O’s “People Change” substituting Pretty Ricky’s “Grind With Me.”

New York City has a history of naming streets after rap artists, with examples like Christopher Wallace Way in Brooklyn, Wu-Tang Clan District in Staten Island, Hip Hop Boulevard in honor of DJ Kool Herc in The Bronx, and Beastie Boys Square in downtown Manhattan.