The Bankhead community and the rest of hip hop lost a real one on Sept. 21, when rapper Shawty Lo tragically died after from a car accident. The ATLien may be gone, but fans are moving to have his legacy last forever, and not just through his music. Instead, a petition is floating around to rename the Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway after the late artist.
One Atlanta resident, Mercy Washington, conceived an online petition to change the parkway to Shawty Lo Parkway. The road is currently named after a civil rights attorney, who was known for his role in Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1960 prison release, as well as winning the desegregation of the University of Georgia. But to Washington and others, Shawty Lo seems like a more appropriate leader to reflect the community and the times.
As for her reason, Washington claimed Shawty Lo, who was often referred to as the “King of Bankhead,” was a driving force in the community. “He 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,” Washington’s statement on the Change.org account read. “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! Bankhead Hwy a.k.a. Donald Lee Hollowell is a thing of the past. Sign the petition as we welcome the new Atlanta street name Shawty Lo Pkwy.”
First the “Dey Know” rapper’s hearse made a trip to the strip club after his wake; and now he may get a parkway named after him. It probably wouldn’t be too far off to say that Shawty Lo is feeling the love even in his after life. Washington currently has 2,845 signatures and counting out of her sought after goal of 5,000. If you’re down with the Shawty Lo Parkway movement, you can sign the petition here.