Voletta Wallace, the devoted mother of legendary hip-hop icon The Notorious B.I.G., has passed away at the age of 78.
According to Monroe County officials, Wallace died peacefully in the early hours of Friday at her home in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
While initially dismissive of her son’s distinctive rap style, famously referring to it as “noise,” Wallace remained a steadfast guardian of his legacy after his tragic death.
She also established the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to providing educational resources and opportunities for children, further cementing her commitment to uplifting communities in her son’s name.
In 2003, she honoured mothers of other musicians who died untimely deaths — Aaliyah, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, Tupac Shakur, Jam Master Jay, Big Pun, Big L and Freaky Tah — at “B.I.G. Night Out,” a benefit for the foundation.
She also took legal action on behalf of her son. In 2004, she dropped a wrongful-death lawsuit against a former suspect in the rap star’s slaying — Amir Muhammad, aka Harry Billups.
With two posthumous albums released, Notorious B.IG certified U.S. sales exceed 28 million copies, including 21 million albums.
Rolling Stone called him the “greatest rapper that ever lived”, In 2020, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
