First Hurdle Cleared To Rename Street For Park Slope Rapper Pumpkinhead

A request to rename a street for Robert “PH” Diaz — a rapper who also went by the name Pumpkinhead — passed handily in a vote by the Community Board 6 Transportation/Public Safety Committee on Thursday, September 17. The vote was almost unanimous; one committee member abstained because she came late to the discussion.

The committee will now bring the request to the general CB6 meeting that involves renaming Degraw Street between 4th and 5th Avenues to Robert “PH” Diaz Way. The City Council will have final approval.

Robert “PH” Diaz grew up on Degraw Street and died at age 39 on June 9 of this year. Diaz was undergoing minor surgery, but his cause of death has not been made public.

Family, friends, and supporters came out in droves to speak about the inspiration and influence Diaz brought to the Park Slope community throughout his life.

“As Brooklynites, it is so important that we remember the people that make/made Brooklyn the wonderfully diverse and dynamic community that it is,” said family friend Claudia Imperiale. “Brooklyn now is very different from the Brooklyn we grew up in. It wasn’t always as hip and trendy. Robert — like almost every person from here — loved his borough and specifically his neighborhood, Park Slope.”

Diaz’s wife Shawntay Ocasio is currently eight months pregnant with their child. Sitting near her were their sons Raiden and Royce Diaz.

“He never changed who he was,” said Ocasio. “And Degraw made him the man who he was.”

Various supporters reiterated that he was passionate about claiming Park Slope as his home.

“The word ‘rapper’ has a negative connotation,” said Imperiale. “Rob remained an underground hip hop artist because he would not follow the mainstream ‘rap’ trend, talking about drugs, guns, and violence.”

One of Diaz’s well-loved songs is called “Park Slope,” which includes lyrics:

Yo, where you from kid?
Park Slope! That’s my ‘hood y’all
Rep your hood
Be proud of it.

After the meeting, Graeme Sibirsky — co-founder with Diaz of MCMI Records — spoke about the positive effects the street renaming would have on the neighborhood.

“Robert is such a well known and loved public figure that lots of people already come to Park Slope to see the neighborhood he talked about in his songs. Many try to find his old block and figure out the building which was his first home. Naming the street after him will definitely be a tourist attraction,” said Sibirsky. “Thousands of people will probably visit in the first couple of days after it is announced that the name has been changed. Social media will fill up with people taking photos on his block, with the sign in the background.”

And Sibirsky also connected Diaz to the cultural fabric of the neighborhood. “This will […] also add to the sense of Park Slope ‘culture,’ of being a home for many artists.”