Blackstreet, Grammy-winning group that sang ‘No Diggity,’ honored with New Jersey street

Family, friends and fans traveled from near and far to attend the street dedication ceremony in Paterson.

Aug 2, 2023

Blackstreet was honored Friday with a street named after the R&B group in their hometown of Paterson, New Jersey. The momentous dedication comes after a resolution to have a street renamed was approved during a City Council meeting.

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As Tap Into Paterson reports, several local leaders, community members, family and fans traveled near and far to attend the street dedication ceremony for the Grammy award-winning vocalists. Group members Chauncey “Black” Hannibal, Eric Williams, Mark Middleton and Levi Little were on hand for the occasion, while former member Dave Hollister and group founder Teddy Riley were not.

Dr. Lilisa Mimms, an at-large councilwoman, and Councilman Mike Jackson of the First Ward were instrumental in making the designation possible.

2018 Essence Festival Presented By Coca-Cola - Louisiana Superdome - Day 3 — Blackstreet founder Teddy Riley (left) and former member Dave Hollister (third from left) of Blackstreet perform onstage during the 2018 Essence Festival in New Orleans. The two were absent Friday when a street in Paterson, New Jersey, was named after the group. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Essence)

“I believe in recognizing our local talent and giving them their flowers while they can smell them,” Mimms said at the street naming ceremony, Tap Into Paterson reports.

The group’s chart-topping hits, including “No Diggity” and “Don’t Leave Me,” have significantly influenced the music industry.

“It’s official!!! Blackstreet is literally on the map,” the group wrote on Instagram. “Having a street dedicated to us in our honor from the city we grew up in is beyond anything we would have imagined when we were kids,” the post continued.

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In 2018, the group was awarded the key to the city.

The announcement was made in July that a stretch of Presidential Boulevard would bear a new name to honor the vocalists. At the time, the group expressed in a statement on social media, “Who would have thought that a street we grew up on and walked as youths would one day be renamed in our honor. God is Amazing!”

During the ceremony, Jackson said, “It is crucial that we acknowledge and appreciate the greatness that emerges from our community, and I am proud to be a part of this special recognition.”

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