Blackstreet have been honored with their very own street in their old stomping grounds of Paterson, New Jersey.
On Saturday (June 29), the Grammy Award-winning R&B group — currently comprised of Chauncey “Black” Hannibal, Levi Little, Mark Middleton and Eric Williams — took to Instagram to share pictures of themselves pointing at the “Blackstreet Blvd” street sign.
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“It’s official!!! Blackstreet is literally on the map [location marker emoji],” the group said. “Words can not express the amount of joy we have at this moment. Having a street dedicated to us in our honor from the city we grew up in is beyond anything we would have imagined when we were kids.”
They added: “Truly, a special thanks goes to Dr. Lisa Mimms, Benjie Wimberly, Mike Jackson, Robert Artist, and the rest of the men and women of the Paterson City Council. And a major thank you to the city of Paterson, New Jersey for nurturing us and continually showing us love and support.”
Check out their post below:
The actual street renaming ceremony was held at Presidential Blvd. between W. Broadway and Temple St. in Paterson, New Jersey on Friday (July 28).
Councilwoman-at-Large Dr. Lilisa Mimms — who was the main governing body behind the renaming — said her reasoning behind gathering with other council members and honoring the group was because she wants to recognize local talent while they still have the opportunity to receive the acknowledgement.
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“I believe in recognizing our local talent and giving them their flowers while they can smell them,” Mimms told Tapinto.net. “Honoring our artists’ achievements and contributions is essential for preserving our city’s cultural heritage and inspiring future generations.”
Lead singer Chauncey Hannibal also gave a statement to the aforementioned publication on the significance of the street unveiling.
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“I am deeply humbled and grateful for this recognition from the City of Paterson,” he said. “It is an honor to be celebrated in the place where it all began for us, and I hope our journey can inspire young talents from this community to pursue their dreams fearlessly.”
He added: “Thank you for acknowledging our contributions to music, and we will continue to carry the spirit of Paterson wherever we go.”
Teddy Riley was noticeably absent from the unveiling, as he and Chauncey Hannibal haven’t seen eye-to-eye in many years.
Riley sued Hannibal for $1million back in April 2015 over claims that he stole the trademark for the group’s name and also used company funds for other miscellaneous affairs, according to Page Six.
The New Jack Swing pioneer then double backed and filed a restraining order against his former band member during that same month, per Rolling Out.
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Both men founded the original Blackstreet group back in the early 1990s. As of today, while Hannibal tours with the preceding members above, Teddy Riley’s version of Blackstreet includes himself as the lead member, Dave Hollister, Sherman Tisdale “J-Stylz,” and Rodney Poe.
The original group produced R&B hit ballads such as “Joy,” “Before I Let You Go,” and “No Diggity” that both groups still perform today.
