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Voletta Wallace, mother of rapper Notorious B.I.G. and steward of his legacy, dies at 78

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Voletta Wallace, the mother of the renowned but tragically brief-lived rapper The Notorious B.I.G., dedicated her efforts to raising his impactful hip-hop legacy to legendary status, has passed away at the age of 78.

Today brings an enormous grief. Our beloved mother, our pillar, the selfless woman who nurtured and championed her son, Christopher Wallace, and safeguarded his memory, has left us. This heart-wrenching news was shared by Wallace’s family on their Facebook page this Friday. We humbly ask for your understanding as we go through this profound loss, requesting privacy to mourn. We are grateful for the endless love, prayers, and condolences you have shown during these challenging times.

It was confirmed by the Monroe County coroner, Thomas Yanac, that Wallace passed away on Friday morning in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. According to him, she died from natural causes while receiving hospice care at home. At the time of The Times’ request for a comment, Yanac did not respond immediately.

In 1997, Wallace’s son, commonly known as Biggie, was fatally shot in the Mid-Wilshire district, two weeks before his significant album “Life After Death” hit the shelves, following a music event. His mother, since then, has been dedicated to preserving Biggie’s musical legacy and distributing his wealth among their grandchildren, including Christopher Jordan “C.J.” Wallace and T’yanna Dream Wallace. The family also pursued several legal actions claiming wrongful death and conspiracy.

California

As a passionate movie buff reminiscing an eerie moment, I was exiting a music soiree held at the Petersen Automotive Museum, seated comfortably in the front passenger side of a Chevrolet Suburban. Suddenly, my life took a chilling turn as a dark Chevy Impala pulled up alongside us.

In addition to filing a lawsuit, she and her family also took legal action against the city of Los Angeles, claiming that city officials concealed police involvement in the rapper’s murder. However, a federal judge discarded this particular lawsuit in 2010 following an agreement between lawyers from both parties that permitted the lawsuit to be refiled at a later time. Despite this dismissal, the family pursued multiple other lawsuits related to the unresolved killing.

Wallace, originally from Jamaica and a dedicated preschool teacher, was also a single mom. Tragically, her 24-year-old son passed away six months after a rival rapper named Tupac Shakur was fatally shot in Las Vegas. Known by his stage name “The Brooklyn Emcee” and for hits like “Big Poppa,” Christopher Wallace was one of the breakout stars under music tycoon Sean “Diddy” Combs’ label. Six months following his demise, his mother stepped onto the MTV Video Music Awards stage to receive the award for best rap video (“Hypnotize”) on his behalf.

She mentioned that if her son were present tonight, he’d likely start by saying, “Shout out to Brooklyn,” according to her.

In the year two subsequent, she along with Afeni Shakur, Tupac’s mom, displayed a harmonious alliance at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, aiming to safeguard and uphold the memories of their beloved sons.

Wallace stated that our being here together is a testament to the strength of belief, friendships, familial bonds, affection from loved ones, and support from fans in bringing us all nearer.

I, too, collaborated with the mothers of several late, young musical talents such as Aaliyah, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes from TLC, Jam Master Jay, and others, through the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation and its B.I.G. (“Books Instead of Guns”) Night Out program.

In 2003, Wallace explained to the Associated Press, “We’re expressing our support by saying, ‘Stay strong.’ It’s a message from our foundation to show these parents that we care for them and appreciate them.

L.A. Now

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links.

Last year, when Combs’ reputation took a hit, Wallace was among those who publicly criticized the music producer following the emergence of a video showing him assaulting his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. This video left her feeling nauseous.

Wallace expressed to Rolling Stone last May that he doesn’t want to accept what he’s heard, but after watching the video, he finds it hard to deny. He yearns for Sean to apologize to her. If ever Wallace meets Sean again, his only desire would be to give him a stern reprimand. And he stands by those words. He liked Sean before this incident, but now he feels ashamed and embarrassed about the terrible things that have been said.

In 1994, Biggie Smalls, known for his debut album “Ready to Die” under Bad Boy Records, was honored posthumously with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 – one of many accolades his mother frequently showcased on her social media platforms, largely dedicated to him. Last year, she celebrated the track “Hypnotize” surpassing 1 billion streams on Spotify since its release in 1997.

Back in 1997, as profiled in The Times, I, myself, shared about my transformation. I’ve chosen the path of righteousness now. I’m taking care of my mother, my children, and my friends. This journey is legitimate, and I’m simply utilizing a gift I possess to articulate myself and earn a living. It feels only fitting that I walk this virtuous road.

Music

2005 saw Wallace publishing a heartfelt memoir titled “Biggie: Voletta Wallace Remembers Her Son, Christopher Wallace, Known as Notorious B.I.G.” This book was a poignant tribute to Biggie, with Wallace describing the profound grief of losing him so young as feeling like a heavy burden, “a 100-pound weight pressing down on my chest.” Published by Atria, this book contained previously unseen photographs and an introduction from Faith Evans, who was Biggie’s wife. The memoir traced her son’s journey to fame, detailing Wallace’s efforts to keep her talented, promising son on the right path. Additionally, she expressed her anger towards those friends of Biggie who allegedly showed her disrespect following his death, and her continued pursuit of justice in finding her son’s killers.

In the year 2021, she took on the role of executive producer for the Netflix documentary titled “Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell.” Prior to this, she was a producer for the biopic “Notorious,” which was released in 2009. In this film, Angela Bassett portrayed her and Biggie’s son C.J. played a younger version of him. Jamal Woolard starred as the mature rendition of the rapper. She made it a point to be on set almost daily, and while she adored the end product, it also stirred feelings of anger and sadness within her.

Music

In her interview with CinemaBlend in 2009, she shared that she discovered many things about her son – aspects she had never known before. Yet, her affection for him remains unchanged because it stemmed from the depths of her heart and continues to persist. As the saying goes, “Love is patient, love is kind.” It cannot be altered or transformed.

To celebrate Biggie’s 50th birthday, she gathered with the rapper’s children, collaborators such as Lil’ Kim and Lil’ Cease, and they convened at the Empire State Building. At this time, the building illuminated in red and white, a tribute to him. New York City honored the rapper in several ways, including issuing a special edition MetroCard and presenting an orchestral tribute to his music at Lincoln Center, as Variety reported.

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2025-02-22 01:31

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