Voletta Wallace, mother of legendary rapper Notorious B.I.G., has died in in Pennsylvania. She was 78.
According to the Monroe County Coroner’s Office, 78-year-old Wallace was pronounced dead of natural causes on Friday, Feb. 21, the Pocono Record reported. Wallace had been under hospice care at her home in the Poconos at the time of her death.
“We suffered a tremendous loss today. Our mother, our matriarch, the woman who dedicated herself to uplifting her son, Christopher Wallace, and preserving his legacy has passed,” her family posted to her official Facebook page. 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. Thank you for your continued outpouring of love, prayers and condolences in this difficult time.”
Wallace was known to be the mother of hip-hop royalty Christopher George Latore Wallace, otherwise known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls.
Biggie Smalls was killed March 9, 1997, as a result of a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles.
Wallace was known for her role as an outspoken activist, and has made numerous appearances at fundraisers and other events held in her late son’s honor. Wallace was the founder of the The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides educational resources for kids.
Wallace made headlines in 2024 after telling Rolling Stone she wanted to “slap the daylights” out of her son Biggie’s former friend and producer Sean “Diddy” Combs (known in the 90s as Puff Daddy and later P. Diddy). Combs is also a New Yorker, having grown up in Westchester’s Mount Vernon. Combs is credited with the discovery of Biggie Smalls. He currently awaits trial at MDC Brooklyn.
Wallace raised Biggie Smalls in artful Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
Wallace raised her son in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood near Bedford-Stuyvesant (known colloquially as BedStuy) and Fort Greene. After the death of her son, hearses transporting Biggie Small’s casket passed through her neighborhood near St. James’ Place.
According to NYC.gov, Clinton Hill, the boundaries of which start at St. James’ Place, transformed over the early 20th century from a rural farmland to the affluent home of Brooklyn’s elite, with tree-lined streets and unique brownstone architecture that helped the neighborhood earn the nickname of Brooklyn’s “Gold Coast.”
Today, the neighborhoods of Clinton Hill, BedStuy and Fort Greene are home to a thriving and diverse hip-hop culture, arts university Pratt Institute campus, and Spike Lee’s 40 Acres & a Mule Film Works. Pratt Institute’s internationally-recognized School of Architecture sits on St. James’ Place.
Biggie’s relationship with his Brooklyn upbringing often made its way into his music, especially in songs like “Juicy,” which features the verse: “I made the change from a common thief, to up close and personal with Robin Leach … Spread love, it’s the Brooklyn way.”
Wallace disputed some of her son’s lyrics in an 1999 interview with The Guardian.
“Like he rapped that he was poor and Christmas missed him? Christmas never missed my son,” Wallace told reporters. “As far as the line about the landlord insulting us, I never owed. Up to this day, my credit is the best in the world. He’s telling a story.”
Despite her take on Biggie’s lyrics, Wallace, who came to America in her teens from Jamaica and worked as a school teacher, was adamant that the stories from her son’s lyrics were “beautiful stories.”
“To this day, I could do without the profanity,” she told The Guardian.
Hip-hop community reacts to news of Voletta Wallace’s death
New York City’s hip-hop community, still reeling from the death of producer Irv Gotti (whose funeral was Feb. 19), reacted with “deep sadness” after the news of Wallace’s death broke Friday.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Ms. Voletta Wallace, the beloved mother of The Notorious B.I.G,” radio station Power 105.1, home of The Breakfast Club, posted to X on Friday. Wallace last appeared on The Breakfast Club in 2020 to discuss her son’s legacy.
Producer DJ Skandalous highlighted Wallace’s work in preserving the music and legacy of Biggie: “Her significant contributions to preserving and expanding her son’s legacy were invaluable,” he posted to Facebook. “Her commitment ensured the enduring memory of Biggie for his global fanbase. RIP”
Comments of support for the family and in memory of Wallace flooded the statement posted by her family on Instagram.
“THE Queen of Queens,” Commented media personality Free Marie Wright. “Nothing but the utmost respect and honor shall follow thy name .. #RIP Ms . Wallace”
Attorney and producer L. Londell McMillan called Wallace a “cherished matriarch” in his collaborative post with The Source.
Dria Baum, House of A.C.E.S hospitality group founder wrote: “Rest easy Mrs. Wallace…you were not only BIG’s mama, but Brooklyn’s as well. We will miss you!
(This story may update.)
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