Should Missy Elliott statue replace Confederate monument in Portsmouth, Virginia?

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - A Portsmouth, Virginia man thinks a statue of hip-hop icon (and fellow native) Missy Elliott would be the perfect replacement for a Confederate monument.

So do tens of thousands of people, who've signed a Change.org petition calling for the same.

Nathan Coflin came up with the idea after watching the aftermath of the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia nearly two weeks ago. His idea quickly gained steam, spreading across social media, and getting high-profile exposure on music blogs.

Elliott, who recently earned the crown of most-selling female rap artist of all time, grew up in Portsmouth. In an appearance on FOX 5's "The Final 5," Coflin told host Jim Lokay that Elliott's success makes her a perfect candidate to replace the 136-year old obelisk, erected in memory of fallen Confederate soldiers.

The petition, which already eclipsed 30,000 signatures, calls for Portsmouth Mayor John Rowe and other city leaders to consider the idea. Coflin, paraphrasing a verse from Elliott's smash hit "Work It," beseeched people to sign the petition, saying: "Getting this statue put up will be a lot of work and you may ask yourself is it worth it? I say, 'Yes,' and ask you to join me in letting us work it. Together we can put white supremacy down, flip it and reverse it."

Rowe has previously promised to move the statue to a nearby cemetery.