Voletta Wallace, Mother of Notorious B.I.G., Passes Away at 78

The Jamaican-born matriarch dedicated her life to preserving her son's legacy and advocating for education and community empowerment.

Voletta Wallace, mother of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G., died of natural causes in hospice care at her Pennsylvania home on February 21, 2025, at the age of 78.
Born in Jamaica, Wallace moved to Brooklyn, New York, where she raised her son Christopher Wallace, who would become the influential rapper known as Biggie Smalls.
After her son's 1997 murder, she established the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation to support education and underserved communities, while also advocating against violence in the music industry.
Wallace managed her son's estate, growing its value significantly and ensuring his music and legacy remained influential across generations.
She co-produced multiple projects honoring Biggie, including the 2009 biopic 'Notorious' and the 2021 Netflix documentary 'Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell.'