Voletta Wallace, the mother of all-time great rapper Notorious B.I.G., has died. She was 72.
Voletta Wallace reportedly passed away peacefully
According to People magazine, Biggie Smalls’ mother’s passing was confirmed by the Monroe County Coroner, while the Daily Mail added that Wallace died from natural causes at home while under hospice care in Stroudsburg, Pa., about 100 miles north of Philadelphia. The home was also about 75 miles west of New York, where Wallace reared her iconic son who then grew to become arguably the greatest and most celebrated wordsmith in hip-hop history.
Voletta Wallace’s son, Biggie Smalls, was a transcendent artist
Notorious B.I.G.’s 1994 debut album for Bad Boy Records, Ready to Die, which was powered by the classics “Big Poppa” and “Juicy,” has sold more than 6 million copies, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
Biggie’s second and final album, hauntingly entitled Life After Death, was dropped just two weeks after he was killed. The CD spawned a plethora of hits, including the timeless No. 1 songs “Mo Money Mo Problems” and “Hypnotize.” The RIAA states that it sold more than 11 million albums.
Biggie was shot and killed in Los Angeles in March 1997, six months after his equally-venerated rapper and archrival, Tupac Shakur, was murdered in Las Vegas. Both homicides remain a source of consternation for urbanites because no one was ever convicted for the crimes.
The private Voletta Wallace was a beloved caretaker to son’s legacy and estate
Wallace spent the rest of her life being the dedicated legal caretaker to her late son’s transcendent legacy and estate, which is estimated to be worth approximately $160 million.
The revered mother was the producer of the 2009 film Notorious which chronicled Biggie Smalls’ internationally-influential career under Diddy’s Bad Boy Records. In 2021, Wallace was also the executive producer on her son’s documentary, Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell that airs on Netflix.
Voletta Wallace celebrated Biggie’s induction into the Rock Hall
In 2020, Wallace was on hand to accept her son’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“Today, I’m feeling great,” she told Billboard.
“As a mother, I’m 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. But it’s an astute honor, and as a mother, I’m just elated for that.”
Wallace continued, saying, “Many of [his songs] speak truth,” she continued of Biggie. “It might be gritty, and maybe the language is so out there, but he was honest. There was nothing fake about what he was doing. I think for such a young man to resonate such honesty in his lyrics is awesome.”
