Voletta Wallace, Mother Of Notorious B.I.G., Dies

Voletta Wallace, the mother of legendary rapper Notorious B.I.G., has died at the age of 78. She passed away on Friday while receiving hospice care at her home in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

Monroe County coroner Thomas Yanac confirmed her death but did not reveal the cause.

Originally from Jamaica, Ms. Wallace was a middle-class single mother who never expected to be in the public eye. However, after her son, Christopher Wallace—known as Biggie Smalls—was killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles in 1997, she became the guardian of his legacy.

Biggie’s murder happened just six months after the shooting of Tupac Shakur, his former friend turned rival. Their deaths marked the end of a major era in hip-hop, one shaped by the intense East Coast-West Coast rivalry. For years, both murders remained unsolved, leading to numerous books, documentaries, and theories about the involvement of gangs and corrupt police officers. In 2023, prosecutors in Las Vegas charged former gang leader Duane Keith Davis, also known as Keffe D, in connection with Tupac’s murder. He is set to go on trial this year.

Ms. Wallace, who was a preschool teacher, immediately took charge of her son’s career after his death. Just two weeks later, Biggie’s second album, Life After Death, was released. Later that year, Ms. Wallace accepted the MTV Video Music Award for Best Rap Video (Hypnotize). She told the crowd, “I know if my son was here tonight, the first thing he would’ve done is say big up to Brooklyn.”

In 1999, she joined Tupac’s mother, Afeni Shakur, on stage at the same awards show. They urged people to unite and honor their sons’ legacies instead of focusing on division.

To support young people, Ms. Wallace started the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation. One of its programs, B.I.G. (Books Instead of Guns) Night Out, promoted education over violence. In 2003, she passionately said, “All I want to do is put a book into a child’s hand. Because books do not kill. Books do not murder. But weapons do.”

In 2002, Ms. Wallace and Biggie’s widow, singer Faith Evans, sued the city of Los Angeles. They accused the LAPD of covering up police involvement in Biggie’s murder. The case went to trial in 2005, but the judge declared a mistrial after discovering that police had hidden evidence. The city was ordered to pay the estate’s legal fees.

Biggie’s estate later refiled the lawsuit in 2007, claiming losses of $500 million. However, the case was dropped in 2010 to avoid interfering with a new criminal investigation. At the time, the family’s lawyer said, “The family only wanted justice to be done.”

Despite never getting full justice, Ms. Wallace worked tirelessly to share Biggie’s story with the world. In 2009, she produced the biopic Notorious. Angela Bassett played her in the film, describing her as “a saint with a powerful tongue.” Ms. Wallace was also involved in coaching Jamal Woolard, the actor who portrayed Biggie. “I felt like I sometimes intimidated him during the film,” she admitted. “I felt bad for that, but as a producer, my job is to be there.”

In a 2021 documentary, Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell, Ms. Wallace talked about the music that influenced her son. She recalled playing reggae, jazz, and even country music at home. “Ever since I was a little girl, I liked stories,” she said. “When he was a little boy and was growing up, I always had the radio on and tuned in to the country music station. I love my Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings. He listened to it all with me because he had no other choice.”

For many years, Ms. Wallace stood beside Sean Combs (Diddy), the music mogul who discovered Biggie and helped keep his legacy alive. However, her feelings changed after multiple women accused Diddy of sexual abuse and he was indicted for racketeering and sex trafficking.

In 2023, Ms. Wallace made her feelings clear. “I hope that I see Sean one day, and the only thing I want to do is slap the daylights out of him. And you can quote me on that,” she told Rolling Stone. “Because I liked him. I didn’t want to believe all the awful things, but I’m so ashamed and embarrassed.”

Although Voletta Wallace is gone, her dedication to her son’s memory and her fight for justice will always be remembered.

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