Over the course of four decades, rapper Too Short has delivered several hip-hop classics, cementing himself as a Bay Area legend. This month, the Oakland native will be honored with a street named after him in his hometown.
The street will be called Too Short Street and span across a portion of Foothill Boulevard between 47th Avenue and High Street. A special ceremony will take place on December 10, as revealed by Too Short via his Instagram page.
Legislation to get this portion of the street renamed after the “Blow The Whistle” hitmaker by way of Mayor Libby Schaaf and Councilman Noel Gallo, as reported by The Mercury News.
“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.
This past summer marked the 35th anniversary of Too Short’s major-label debut album, Born To Mack. In a recent interview with Billboard, Too Short opened up about the creative process behind the album.
“My back was against the wall, and I had to find a way,” he said. “At that time, our culture was so young and didn’t create any roadmaps or connections for us to follow. But you know what? I loved it, and it was my love that inspired me to push my music. I would ask questions to all the older cats, especially my guy Dean Hodges — who owned 75 Girls Records — and ask, ‘How can I push my record and make money off of it?’ But the biggest lesson of all was: you just had to figure it out.”