2720 Tivoly Avenue in Baltimore,
MD, holds significant historical and cultural significance as the childhood home of Javein Scarwin, "The first Street Pirate" and founder of the Street Pirate
Army (
S.P.A) in the
mid-1990s. Javein Scarwin, formerly known as "Ms. Mae Son," a tribute to his mother, developed a unique sound and subculture, blending elements of Zone
18 hood life with pirate-inspired themes.
Javein Scarwin's influence on the Street Pirate
Army attracted
like-minded individuals who embraced the pirate ship metaphor. However, the group faced challenges due to
drugs, ego, envy, and senseless street violence, leading to Javein Scarwin being shot in the right eye on the 2700 block of Hugo Avenue in Zone
18 in 2006 by a group of Kool Aid Minded individuals.
Since then, Javein Scarwin has been an advocate for youth whose lives are affected by Kool Aid Minded Behavior through his Scarcode Development Program, aiming to save one life at a time.
Over the years, 2720 Tivoly Avenue,
like the surrounding area, struggled with
drugs, violence, and crime, with a
high Violent Crime Index and Property Crime Index.
In an effort to combat blight and revitalize the area, the city initiated the Vacants to Value program, aiming to demolish vacant properties, including those on Tivoly Avenue. However, progress was
slow, and it took several years to tear down the last of the 98 vacant properties.
