Try to imagine riding through the city of Atlanta with the radio tuned to V103 when “Laffy Taffy” comes on while you’re cruising down Shawty Lo Parkway. As otherworldly as that may sound, the chances of the imaginary becoming reality are not that farfetched if online petitioners have their way.
A Change.org petition to change the old Bankhead Highway from Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway to Shawty Lo Parkway is currently underway with hopes that the city honors the late rapper’s memory and attachment to Bankhead. Mecy Washington, whose listed location is Atlanta, is behind the initiative and plans to deliver at least 1,500 signatures to the desk of Mayor Kasim Reed soon. Washington writes:
“[Shawty Lo] was overly active in his bankhead community. So much so, that neighborhood locals honored him by giving him the nickname “King of Bankhead” abbreviated K.O.B in which he utilized as much as he did his rap name Shawty Lo. What better way to honor this extraordinary man then to rename the street in which he grew up on and a community that he never left behind even after his success!”
Hard to argue against that line of reasoning. But, it may not be as easy to convince the city to go along with the name change since Donald Lee Hollowell was a Civil Rights attorney who fought to desegregate the University of Georgia and once helped secure Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s prison release in 1960.
Even being considered puts Shawty Lo in good company. After his fatal car crash last week, he’s received at outpouring of respect shown from fans and peers, including a tribute from Beyonce that shouldn’t go unnoticed. So while the petition’s aim is high, there’s always an outside chance it reaches the intended goal.
