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The city of Oakland honored Tupac Shakur by naming MacArthur Boulevard after him last week. According to NBC Bay Area, "the stretch of MacArthur Boulevard between Van Buren and Grand Avenues will now be known as Tupac Shakur Way." Although born in New York City, Tupac has strong ties to California's Bay Area and Los Angeles. Oakland was reportedly a place where Tupac felt a great sense of community. After moving to Oakland with family in his late teens, he began his musical career in Oakland with the hip-hop group Digital Underground.
Some of his musical peers and journalist Sway Calloway, an Oakland native, attended the ceremony with his family and friends. Sway told NBC Bay Area, "He's a leader, he's an innovator, his duality, his fight for the people... "He stood ten toes down, and the fight that he fought for us resonated all around the globe." "Rapper E-40, also from the Bay Area, said to NBCBA, "He spoke up for our people, for our culture; he is the greatest rapper to ever do it, man. He did so much in so little time." His sister Sekyiwa "Set" Shakur also gave her sentiments about her late brother and recurring black-on-black violence: "On these streets, you can't mention my brother's name if you are still taking a Black man's life." Tupac's death still greatly impacts his family, especially with the recent arrest of a former Los Angeles gang member, Duane "Keefe D" Davis, for Tupac's 1996 murder.
According to NBCBA, Pac's family plans to plant a peace pole at the location, marking the legacy beyond the music they hope their brother will leave for generations to come. "It’s a moment that I know my brother would be proud of," Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur said. "Establishing love and peace in the Oakland community especially mattered to him. Being able to represent safety to his people mattered to him."
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Related Stories: Man Arrested for Tupac Shakur's Murder, Tupac's Brother Said Puffy Contacted Him About His Murder, and Suge Knight Said He Will Not Testify Against Tupac's Murder Suspect
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