Blackstreet was honored with their own street in their hometown of Paterson, New Jersey for their outstanding contributions to the music industry. The unveiling of Blackstreet Blvd took place on Friday (July 28) at Presidential Blvd between West Broadway and Temple Street.
On Saturday (July 29), the Grammy Award-winning group took to social media to share some photos of them with the street sign. “It’s official!!! Blackstreet is literally on the map [location marker emoji],” the group captioned the social media post. “Words cannot 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.”
“I believe in recognizing our local talent and giving them their flowers while they can smell them,” Councilwoman-at-Large Dr. Lilisa Mimms told reporters at the event. “Honoring our artists’ achievements and contributions is essential for preserving our city’s cultural heritage and inspiring future generations.”
The legendary R&B group was created in 1991 by record producers Chauncey “Black” Hannibal and Teddy “Street” Riley. Their 1996 breakthrough hit, “No Diggity” featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen, hit No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, selling 1.6 million copies that year. It was their first single off of their second studio album, Another Level. In 1998, Blackstreet won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. They released four albums under Interscope Records until 2003. The current members include Hannibal, Levi Little, Mark Middleton, and Eric Williams.