Biggie Smalls, Notorious B.I.G, Frank White, whatever it is you want to call him, there is no denying that the man named Christopher Wallace is one the greatest rappers to ever live. Ever since his debut album, Ready to Die was released in 1994, Biggie had established himself as an elite in the rap game. His skills and charisma helped launch Bad Boy Records and put the label on the map. His untimely death shocked the Hip-Hop community and left a void that has yet to be filled.
When most rappers are taken away from us, a graffiti artist paints a mural in their honor. There are murals for 2pac, Big L and Big Pun to name a few that have become well known. Biggie is getting something more than a mural. It’s not often that you see a statue of a Hip-Hop artist. Those type of monuments are reserved for historical figures or athletes (e.g. Michael Jordan). Now Biggie will be immortalized with a six-foot tall sculpture of his face. The Hip-Hop Hall of Fame Museum is spearheading this initiative partnering with NYC council and local community leaders, calling it the Biggie Memorial Project. Chairman of the museum, JT Thompson expects the memorial to bring in tourists and fans from around the world.
Brooklyn based artist Tanda Francis created the sculpture and has displayed it at many art festivals. It was recently showcased at 210 Art Gallery in Brooklyn. Francis had this to say about her sculpture possibly becoming a permanent landmark.
“Ideally people will know this is a place where they can meet, take a picture in front of the statue, and just explore the neighborhood. This sculpture is a potential landmark for people to spend money in the area, so it seems like something that would be positive for the area.”
A Go Fund Me page has been created to raise a total of $35k. This will get the sculpture bronzed, pay the artist, cover any city fees, permanently mount the sculpture and leave enough to make a donation to the Christopher Wallace Foundation. The sculpture is expected to be placed in Brooklyn’s Putnam Triangle Plaza, near B.I.G’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. #BIGGIEMEMORIAL
