Photo: iHeartRadio
Trick Daddy, Trina, DJ Khaled, Uncle Luke, and other Miami legends were honored at a massive festival to celebrate their new streets in Dade County.
On Saturday, March 28, Commissioner Keon Hardemon, the city of Miami, and Headliner Marketing Group held the 18th Ave Coming to the Jam Block Party in Liberty City. The festival took over 18th Avenue from 71st Street down to 62nd Terrace, with each street renamed after a different artist. Throughout the day, Hardemon and city officials honored each artist and their families. After the late Fresh Kid Ice's family accepted the proclamation for 2 Live Crew's "You Go Girl Street", Trick and Trina received their flowers on the main stage.
"I'm so grateful," Trina said to the crowd. "I'm appreciative. That sign is even more important to me. It's actually placed directly — the building that's right in front of it was my mom's store. So it's the universe that put it right in front of my mom's store. I just can't believe that. I don't know how that happened. That's magic... My mom is definitely proud. I know she is."
Trina's mother, Vernessa Taylor, had a heavy influence on the rapper's life before she passed away in 2019. "Still Da Baddest" Street and "Trick Love The Kids" Street are located right next to each other. Other music legends who were honored at the festival include the late Betty Wright, DJ Uncle Al, JT Money, Michael Sterling, Flo Rida, City Girls, Mike Smiff, Ice Billion Berg, Jacki-O, Pretty Ricky, Ball Greezy, Major Nine, YD, Kase 1hunnid, Busta Free, J-Shin, Inner Circle and Zoey Dollaz.
"It means everything to be repped and honored in Miami," says DJ Khaled, who got "We The Best Street" and "Born N Raised Street" with Trick, Pitbull and Rick Ross. "Miami is my home, my life, my love. Also, everywhere I go, every city, every state, every country, every island, I represent Miami."
"It feels good," Zoey Dollaz tells iHeartRadio. "I put in a lot of work for the city. I'm one of the guys that everything I do is for the city and the culture. So it was good to see that I was recognized. I didn't expect it. It's not something I knew, but it happened. I'm thankful and I would love to see more of us get things like that done for us in the city."
The city of Miami voted to rename the streets in Liberty City between 18th Ave and 19th Ave last year. Commissioner Keon Hardemon's proposed to honor the entertainment district on 18th Avenue by renaming 12 streets after the biggest artists with ties to the area who made an impact with their music.
"18th Avenue became my jurisdiction in 2020," Hardemon explained in an interview last year. "I rebirthed this idea of renaming streets after motivational things. So I said 18th Avenue is an entertainment area, and it always has been. But now, if I rename these streets after lyrics that means something to our community I think we can bring tourism there and I think we can have renewed interest in it."
Check out more scenes from the 18th Ave Coming To The Jam Block Party below.