A local artist is looking to honor the legacy of famous rapper Biggie Smalls with a memorial where the rap icon grew up.

Tanda Francis created a sculpture in the likeness of Smalls, whose real name was Christopher Wallace, after she noticed many tourists visiting the area who didn't have a place to pay their respects. Now Francis wants to place the sculpture in Putnam Triangle.

"I just looked at a lot of images and watched videos and documentaries," Francis said. "Studied what I could of Biggie." 

Francis and the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame are trying to raise $35,000 to create a bronze weatherproof version of the statue. They created a GoFundMe page and hope fans contribute to the memorial. 

"They can, you know, have a place to take a picture in front of," Francis said. 

The artist hopes the sculpture will be placed right in the heart of Fort Greene.