Run The Jewels performs at Day 3 of the Panorama Music Festival on Sunday, July 24, 2016 | Photos by Vickey Ford/Sneakshot for Okayplayer.
Photo Credit: Vickey Ford for Okayplayer
Rappers are commemorated in a number of ways, but Killer Mike may very well be the first one to have a tunnel-boring machine named after him.
In honor of his accomplishments as a rapper, as well as a business owner and political activist, the machine has been given the name "Driller Mike," and will be used to dig a 5-mile tunnel starting from a 350-foot deep reservoir, holding 2.4 billion gallons of water under downtown Atlanta.
"Before I die, I want a street named after me, maybe Michael Render Way," the Atlanta based rapper said to the Associated Press. "But this is a great midlife goal. This is truly an honor."
An announcement was made earlier this year by Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management, where they asked Atlanta residents to help name the new $11.6 million machine.
The naming competition was narrowed down to three finalists: "Driller Mike," "Peach Beast" and "Scarlett."
The massive 400-foot-long tunnel-boring machine is expected to expand the city's current three day water supply to 30 days and ensure access to clean, safe water for the next 100 years, Watershed Management of Atlanta officials said.
Although Killer Mike was honored that the machine was named after him, he said he was more than amused when he first heard the name Driller Mike.
"It was the funniest thing in the world to me. I didn't take it seriously, because I'm a rapper. Cities don't associate themselves with rappers. But I'm a business owner, a dad, an active member of politics in Atlanta, so I was honestly honored that people in Atlanta saw fit to name something after me."
But when you really think about it what device truly deserves to have a name inspired by Killer Mike, than a machine like this? Powerful, supportive — it's going to do so much good for Atlanta, just like the rapper has.
Check out pictures of Killer Mike and Driller Mike below.
