Voletta Wallace, mother of the late rap icon Notorious B.I.G., has died from natural causes. She was 72.
B.I.G.’s mother died Friday morning in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, according to Monroe County Coroner Thomas Yanac. She was in hospice care, TMZ reported.
B.I.G., real name Christopher Wallace, was born in Brooklyn, NY. He was Voletta’s only child. His father abandoned the family when B.I.G. was only 2, leaving Voletta to raise her son alone.
Voletta (seated center) carried on Biggie’s legacy after his tragic death, overseeing his estate and helping pass down his wealth to his family, including his son Christopher (left) and his daughter T’yanna Wallace (2nd from left).
Biggie’s estate was estimated to be worth about $10 million when he died, and it’s estimated to be worth $160 million today.
Voletta is pictured with rappers Lil Cease (left) and Lil Kim (right). Voletta celebrated when her son was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and her Instagram account was mostly dedicated to his achievements. She posted regularly about his foundation, his streaming numbers, tribute concerts, and pop culture references.
When Biggie’s biopic, “Notorious,” premiered in 2009, Voletta explained why it was important to tell his story on the big screen.
B.I.G. was gunned down by an unknown assailant in Los Angeles in 1997. He was 24 at the time of his death.
