by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton
November 6, 2023
With a possible conviction for the killing of Tupac Shakur looming, the slain entertainer continues to get the recognition that escaped him when he was still alive. A street that the “All Eyez On Me” rapper lived on for some time in Oakland in the ’90s was recently renamed ‘Tupac Shakur Way’ on Nov. 3.
According to NBC Bay Area, a section between Van Buren and Grand Avenues on MacArthur Boulevard was named for the deceased rapper. A ceremony took place where his family, friends, and fans of Tupac attended.
Tupac’s sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, said, “On these streets, you can’t mention my brother’s name if you are still taking a Black man’s life.”
“It’s a moment that I know my brother would be proud of. Establishing love and peace in the Oakland community especially mattered to him. Being able to represent safety to his people mattered to him.”
In May, the city council voted in favor of the renamed street with a unanimous decision. The controversial artist made his way to Oakland in the early 1990s. In a 1993 video interview, he said he got his “game” from Oakland.
“When I got to Oakland, that’s when I learned the game,” he said. “I give all my love to Oakland. If I’m a claim somewhere, I’m a claim Oakland.”
The renaming ceremony coincidentally occurred a day after Duane Keith “Keffe D” Davis pleaded not guilty on Nov. 2, according to The Associated Press. County special public defenders Robert Arroyo and Charles Cano were assigned to represent Keffe D, who did not have a lawyer. The judge informed the defendant that he would not be facing the death penalty.
Tupac died on Sept. 13, 1996, after being shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on Sept. 7, 1996. He was in town for a boxing match featuring Mike Tyson. He was in a coma for six days before dying at 25.
