Memorials help soothe the soul as a means of saying goodbye to loved ones. Close friends and family members of Shawty Lo put a spin on the late rapper’s ceremony by making a particular pit stop.
On Friday (Sept. 30) hundreds gathered at Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Atlanta to pay their respects to the artist. The founding member of D4L lost his life in a car accident on Sept. 21. The public viewing allowed fans to join family and friends like Benzino and manager Johnnie Cabbel. Those who couldn’t make it to the ceremony were able to catch the rapper’s casket on Harwell Rd. when his hearse made a stop at Blue Flame Lounge.
Shawty Lo's hearse stopped by the Blue Flame one last time after the viewing of his body. ??? pic.twitter.com/9WV0vvnBJj
— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) October 1, 2016
The sentiment was a special one. The strip club was a personal favorite of Lo’s and the last place the rapper was seen before his death. Not everyone was pleased with the memorial. One of the rapper’s 11 children took to social media after images of her father’s open casket began to surface on the web.
The rapper has been honored and celebrated by Beyonce, T.I., Fabo and more who spoke highly of his legacy as the “King of Bankhead.” Currently, a petition is making rounds for renaming the former Bankhead Highway from Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway to Carlos Walker Blvd. So far, the petition has over 2,400 signatures. Hollowell was a civil rights attorney who helped integrate the University of Georgia in 1961. He was also responsible for the release of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from Georgia State Prison in 1960. Mercy Washington, the petition’s creator, says the road belongs to the late rapper because of his “overly active” efforts in the community.
let's make it Carlos Walker Blvd
— SHAWTY LO (@THATSSHAWTYLO) September 30, 2016
His funeral, also opened to the public, will take place today (Oct. 1) at Jackson Baptist Church.