Remember that guy who wanted to name a Brooklyn intersection after Biggie? Well he's back in the street naming game, this time in New York's Lower East Side. According to DNAinfo, Brooklyn resident LeRoy McCarthy wants to name the intersection of Ludlow and Rivington streets after the Beastie Boys. The corner of this intersection is featured on the cover of the hip-hop trio's groundbreaking 1989 album, Paul's Boutique.
"I think the Beastie Boys represent New York in a certain way," he told DNAinfo. "They grew up here. They are New Yorkers."
McCarthy has gathered more than 20 signatures on a petition for the effort, including signatures from eight of the nine businesses on Rivington Street between Ludlow and Essex streets and many of the apartments on that block.
According to the article, he plans to present his proposal soon to Community Board 3, who usually reserves naming streets after people or groups who have done extensive community services but allows for "exceptional and highly acclaimed accomplishment or involvement linked to Manhattan Community Board 3."
The Beastie Boys sold more than 40 million albums in their three-decade career and had ties to the neighborhood beyond the Paul's Boutique album cover. They lived at 59 Chrystie St. and recorded their first album in the East Village, the article reports.
After Adam "MCA" Yauch's death in 2012 from cancer, fans flocked to the area to pay tribute to him.
"I think that the Lower East Side, what it used to be, is a good place to honor the Beastie Boys," he told them. "It represents New York. New York is always changing, New York is always on the move, New York is dirty [and] it is beautiful."
Vicky Dalva, who is the general manager and co-owner of Wolfnights (located at the iconic corner) supports the petition and told DNAinfo, "When Adam Yauch passed away, people came here for three or four days putting candles and flowers out, taking photos, really mourning his death. At least one person comes in each week asking if it's Paul's Boutique."
McCarthy's Biggie Smalls and Beastie Boys campaigns are part of a bigger push to help hip-hop history be recognized in New York City. "Over the course of 40 years, hip-hop has contributed to the economy, to fashion, tourism, race relations and New York City had projected this onto the world," McCarthy told them. "Where is the recognition from New York City? Has there been any? I don't see that."
If his two proposals go through, it won't be the first time an intersection was named after a hip-hop artist. In 2009, a Queen's intersection was named "Run-DMC JMJ Way" in honor of Run DMC's DJ Jason Mizzell. McCarthy hopes for a hip-hop artist or group to be recognized in all five boroughs. Although his Biggie campaign hasn't moved past Brooklyn's Community Board 2 due to criticism over Biggie's drug dealing, misogynistic lyrics and obesity, he is already scouting out a Wu-Tang spot in the Park Hill neighborhood of their native Staten Island. He will present the "Beastie Boys Square" petition to the city next month.
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