The Notorious B.I.G.'s music will live on forever, buta museum in his hometown is looking to immortalize him in a different way: with a statue.
The Hip Hop Hall of Fame Museum is raising money tocomplete and erect a bronze statue of thelegendary lyricist in Brooklyn, New York City.A GoFundMe page is up to accept donations for remaining $35,000 needed to complete the project.
According to XXL magazine, the statue was previouslyon display in an exhibit at the 210 Gallery in New York City. But the GoFundMe campaign is raising $35,000to complete its design and bronzing, handle expenses connected with the city fees, the mounting of the statue, compensating the artists, and to make a donation to the Christopher Wallace Foundation, which supports youth and education initiatives.
Along with the GoFundMe campaign, The Hip Hop Hall of Fame Museum will host events to raise money to complete the statue.
"The BIGGIE Memorial will be a new New York landmark in the neighborhood which still treasures him. The memorial will be a bold reminder of the hip hop and music history which has helped form the creative and cultural landscape of New York City and around the world," a press release for the projectreads.
The statue was designed by Brooklyn-based artist Tanda Francis, who is a fellow of the Art Students League of New York. Down Lo Music CEO Dennis Mathis, whorelaunched theThink B.I.G. basketball tournament and has produced and promoted other events that pay tribute to Biggie and raise money for theThe Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, is also involved in the project.
The statue would be anothermemorialto a hip-hop artist in Brooklyn this year. In April, a streetin Park Slope, Brooklyn was renamed to commemorateRobert "Pumpkinhead/PH" Diaz, the underground rapper who died in June 2015.
