WHEREAS, LGP Qua, born Qidere Johnson in North Philadelphia, was known as the “Voice of the Youth” for his community advocacy and lyrical prowess as a viral rap phenomenon speaking to the struggles of youth violence in Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, A community advocate, game changer, motivational speaker, and a leader for the youth of Philadelphia, LGP Qua was raised in the Badlands. He attended Edward T. Steel Elementary and graduated from Simon Gratz High School in 2012; and
WHEREAS, A strong, resilient, innovative, and creative person, he first learned to rap in 2005 but didn’t pursue his passion seriously until 2016 after being imprisoned on weapons charges with a determination to turn his life around; and
WHEREAS, He went viral in 2017 for a powerful freestyle on a North Philadelphia street corner. In 2018, his freestyles amassed millions of views across social media, helping him reach over 360,000 Instagram followers. He also had more than 8 million views on YouTube. His lyrical gifts allowed him to travel the world, performing songs with Meek Mill, will.i.am, DJ Drama and French Montana. He would freestyle on HOT 97 and inked a record deal with Jay Z. Yet he continuously showed love to his community by partnering with major brands to give away sneakers and water ice to children, and gave motivational speeches at Philadelphia public schools; and
WHEREAS, The moniker LGP stood for “Let’s Get Paid,” and reflected his ambition to elevate others around him; and
WHEREAS, LGP Qua was tragically taken from this world at age 30 on Mother’s Day, a tragic reminder of the realities of street violence that he rapped about daily. He is survived by his mother Tamara Davis, as well as two children. As Philadelphia continues to confront its epidemic of gun violence and the opportunity deficit many of its young people face, let us memorialize one of our own who stood up and spoke out, inspiring many with his words and passion; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That N. 9th Street between Clearfield Street and Indiana Avenue shall also be named as “LGP Qua Way”; and the 900 block of W. Clearfield Street shall also be named as “Voice of the Youth”.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Qidere Johnson as evidence of the true and sincere admiration and respect of this legislative body.
End