The singer’s mother Voletta Wallace, the renowned B.I.G., passes away at age 78.
Hip-hop icon The Notorious B.I.G.’s mother, Voletta Wallace, died at the age of 78.
Monroe County officials say she passed away at her home in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, early Friday morning.
Despite her initial disdain for her son’s music—once calling it “noise”—Wallace played a pivotal role in upholding his legacy until his untimely death in 1997. She established the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, a group devoted to giving kids access to educational materials.
She honored the moms of other singers who passed away too soon in 2003 during “B.I.G. Night Out,” a performance honoring Tupac Shakur, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, Aaliyah, Jam Master Jay, Big Pun, Big L, and Freaky Tah.
Wallace also took legal action to seek justice for her son. In 2004, she dropped a wrongful-death lawsuit against Amir Muhammad, also known as Harry Billups, who was previously suspected in the rapper’s slaying. Her son, The Notorious B.I.G., remains one of the most celebrated figures in hip-hop history. With two posthumous albums released, his certified United States sales have surpassed 28 million copies, including 21 million albums. Rolling Stone once hailed him as the “greatest rapper that ever lived.” In 2020, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, cementing his influence on music and culture.
