Voletta Wallace, the mother of late rapper Notorious B.I.G., has died at the age of 72, according to Monroe County Coroner. She passed away due to natural causes while under hospice care at her home on February 21. TMZ was the first to report the news.
Born in Jamaica, Voletta raised her son Christopher, Biggie’s father Selwyn George left their family when Biggie was just two years old, leaving Voletta to raise him alone as a preschool teacher. She supported Biggie’s music career and made appearances in his music videos, including “Juicy” in 1994.
After Biggie’s death in 1997, Voletta dedicated her life to celebrating his legacy and managing the estate that is now worth $160 million. She has also continued to fight for justice on behalf of her son. In a 2021 interview, she said, “As long as I have life there’s hope…I’ll never give up.”
Voletta has spoken about reconnecting with Biggie through his music after his death. “After his passing, I heard negative things being said about him. As a mother, I only wanted to hear positive things.” She continued, “I cried like a baby while listening because what I heard was an intelligent human being.”
Voletta worked as a producer for the 2009 movie “Notorious,” starring Angela Bassett, and celebrated her son’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. In September 2024, she posted about Biggie’s music reaching 2.5 billion all-time plays on Apple Music.
Source: https://people.com/voletta-wallace-notorious-big-mother-dead-age-72-11684158