Voletta Wallace, mother of rapper Notorious B.I.G., dies in Stroudsburg at 78
“Our mother, our matriarch, the woman who dedicated herself to uplifting her son...and preserving his legacy has passed," a social media account associated with the Notorious BIG's estate posted.
Voletta Wallace, 78, mother of beloved rapper the Notorious B.I.G., died Friday in her home in Stroudsburg, Monroe County.
Ms. Wallace died of natural causes following a period in hospice care, Monroe County Coroner Thomas Yanac told the Associated Press. A social media account associated with the estate of Ms. Wallace’s son, born Christopher Wallace, confirmed her death, writing in an Instagram post that the Wallace family “suffered a tremendous loss” Friday.
“Our mother, our matriarch, the woman who dedicated herself to uplifting her son ... and preserving his legacy has passed,” the post read. “It is with immense sadness that we share this news with you, and ask that you give our family the space and time needed to grieve this monumental loss.”
The Notorious B.I.G., a Brooklyn native who has long been considered among rap’s most iconic figures, was killed in a 1997 shooting in Los Angeles at age 24. His slaying remains unsolved, and is still a topic of intrigue among hip-hop fans.
Following her son’s death, Ms. Wallace, of Jamaica, served as the keeper of the Notorious B.I.G.‘s legacy and the executor of his estate, which today is worth an estimated $160 million, TMZ reports. She launched the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation in the rapper’s honor, and in recent years served as an executive producer on the 2021 Netflix documentary Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell.
In 2017, the 20th anniversary of her son’s death, Ms. Wallace told the AP that the rapper had told her not to listen to his music. She largely heeded that advice until after his death, she said.
“I cried so much that day just listening to the music. I remember I sat, I stood. I rested my head on the stereo and I just cried like a baby. And that was therapy for me,” Ms. Wallace said. “And I said, ‘Oh my God — that was a talented young man to put those words together.’ He had a beautiful voice. I love his voice.”
Amid news of the Notorious B.I.G.‘s posthumous induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2020, Ms. Wallace celebrated her son’s impact on hip-hop culture. In an interview with Billboard, she said she was “extremely proud of his accomplishments.”
“You know, I still see such a young man at a young age, and sadly, he’s not here to witness all this,” Ms. Wallace said. “But it’s an astute honor, and as a mother, I’m just elated for that.”
Ms. Wallace’s son released his debut album, Ready to Die, in 1994, and it has long been considered a hip-hop classic. His second album, Life After Death, was released two weeks after his slaying.
On social media, Ms. Wallace’s family said that information about how fans can honor her life would be released in the coming days.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.