It's unanimous: Tallahassee city commissioners OK local road to be named after T-Pain
"T-Pain Lane" is on its way following a unanimous vote by Tallahassee city commissioners to move forward with the road renaming that honors the hometown rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer.
The vote at their meeting Wednesday comes just a few months before T-Pain, whose real name is Faheem Rashad Najm, is set to take the stage at the Adderley Amphitheater in Cascades Park in a sold-out show on Nov. 10 as part of Leon County's bicentennial celebration.
A 0.38 mile-stretch of Pasco Street soon will be called T-Pain Lane, from Orange Avenue to Tucker Street, ending at Bond Elementary School. The road dedication had been delayed amid bureaucratic hoops, but the city has now streamlined the process after butting heads with county commissioners with the naming of Althea Gibson Way.
But T-Pain Lane won't take effect just yet. The city still needs to reach out to residents on Pasco Street to advise them of the coming change as well as make new road signs. City officials intend to hold a ceremony soon to honor the change.
Locals say 'I Like Dat' as they weigh in
A Tallahassee Democrat reporter recently went to Pasco Street to talk to neighbors. Sandra Ford, for instance, is a fan of the artist and believes the name change is well deserved.
T-Pain is "a very popular man and he did a lot in the community prior to becoming famous ... so I feel like that'll be an honor to him," Ford said. "I think that'd ... give him a smile on his face."
Joe Thomas, retired director of the Walker-Ford Community Center on Pasco Street, still remembers when T-Pain would come perform at the community center before he got famous. He said he always knew he had next-level talent.
"He came when he was with the (group known as the) Nappy Headz and they did a program at Walker-Ford and we were ... one of the first groups to compensate him," Thomas said.
Thomas said T-Pain helped Walker-Ford renovate their game room "with new games, new flooring and new TV sets."
Althea Gibson Way paved the way for T-Pain Lane
According to previous reporting by the Tallahassee Democrat, back during March and April of this year, the city brought forth the idea to rename what was Wahnish Way to Althea Gibson Way in honor of the 11-time Grand Slam champion who was an alumni of Florida A&M University.
What the city thought would be a celebrated and supported dedication was met with resistance from Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor, who wrote a letter on why a portion of the road should retain the name Wahnish Way.
To move ahead with the renaming, the city voted on an ordinance that changed the Tallahassee Land Development code. Now, the city directs road name changes within the incorporated area of Leon County to the city manager, instead of the county administrator.
Who is T-Pain?
? He first gained widespread fame in the mid-2000s for his use of Auto-Tune, a vocal effect that became his signature sound, though he's also known for his strong natural singing voice.
? T-Pain's music blends elements of hip-hop and R&B. His numerous hits include songs like "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" and "Bartender." But he's also collaborated with artists such as Kanye West ("Good Life," 2007), Flo Rida ("Low," 2007) and Jamie Foxx ("Blame It," 2009), to name a few, helping to reshape mainstream music in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
? He also has ventured into television, winning season 1 of "The Masked Singer" in 2019.
Arianna Otero is the City Solutions Reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at [email protected] or on Twitter/X: @ari_v_otero.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: T-Pain honored in Tallahassee with road named after him
