14-03-2025
In Miami, you may soon be able to drive down ‘Grind With Me Terrace'
Drivers may soon cruise down 'Grind With Me Terrace' as they navigate Miami.
They might turn right onto 'Act Up Street' or find parking on 'Big Money Baller Street.' At rush hour, navigation apps may warn that there's a traffic delay on 'It's Ya Birthday Street.'
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All signs point to a one-of-a-kind effort in Miami.
The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners is considering a proposal that would rename two dozen streets after songs by rap and hip-hop artists hailing from the metro area. The debate has split the county commissioners, who spent hours last week weighing whether titles like 'We the Best' and 'Still Da Baddest' should hang from street signs in Miami's Liberty City neighborhood.
Supporters of the proposal say it celebrates the city's culture and legacy, and would uplift an otherwise neglected area. Opponents question whether the street names are appropriate and how the change might impact local businesses.
Commissioner Keon Hardemon, the bill's sponsor, said the proposal would breathe life into the city's Northwest 18th Avenue corridor. The area in recent years has been plagued by dilapidated buildings, substandard housing, broken sidewalks and little lighting - symptoms of an overall lack of investment, he said.
'It's bigger than the street names,' he said, adding, 'Miami has a storied history in the music scene. These are all names or lyrics that people will instantly recognize and truly just reflect a good time and positive feelings about Miami culture.'
The proposal, first reported by the Miami Herald, runs the gamut of artists born or based in Miami-Dade, including Trina, Flo Rida, Uncle Luke and City Girls. Liberty City, where the signs would be installed, is a historically Black northern Miami neighborhood that's the subject of a major county redevelopment project.
Other proposed street names would honor Betty Wright's 'No Pain, No Gain,' Major Nine's 'Soul Ties,' and 'Born N Raised,' a track from DJ Khaled, Pitbull, Rick Ross and Trick Daddy.
'It's establishing a space unlike any place in America - a place where you can actually come and interact with Miami history,' Hardemon said. 'It is a place I envision people will come because it is unique, because it has funny sayings that they know. It has such a role in our history, and it also really gives a reason for people to smile at street names and say, 'Hey, this is something different.''
Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins wasn't convinced.
'How do you get to my house? Oh, go up 18th Avenue and make a right on 'Poor Little [Rich] Girl Street' and make a left on 'Big Money Baller Street' and, right in front of 'Chase This [Dis] Money Street,' you can find the corner store where we can meet,' Cohen Higgins said during a commissioners meeting last week. 'It kind of opens the door to us naming streets in ways I don't feel comfortable about. I don't want 'Back That Azz Up Boulevard' anywhere in Miami-Dade County, for example.'
Cohen Higgins asked what the move might do to the area's property values - and insisted that community members needed a chance to share their thoughts.
'Their address is going to change to '89 Poor Little Rich Girl Street,'' Cohen Higgins said. 'This is not naming street names after legendary artists that have been pillars in our community. These street names include slang.' (At the same meeting, commissioners agreed to rename a road in honor of Miami rap legend Luther 'Uncle Luke' Campbell - dubbing it Luther Campbell Way.)
One commissioner likened the unorthodox plan to wearing sneakers with a suit - a display that merges cultural worlds. Another commissioner argued that this move may perpetuate stereotypes about the neighborhood and its residents.
After nearly two hours of debate, the commissioners remained divided, voting 5-5. They agreed to reconsider the issue at their meeting next Tuesday.
Hardemon is hopeful that his street names will get a green light this time.
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