Voletta Wallace, the devoted mother of Christopher Wallace, known to the world as The Notorious B.I.G., lived a life marked by resilience, strength, and an unyielding love for her son. From humble beginnings in Trelawny Parish, Jamaica, to her journey as a single mother raising one of hip-hop’s greatest legends in Brooklyn, New York, Voletta Wallace’s story is one of sacrifice, pain, and a commitment to preserving her son’s legacy.
Born in 1953 in Trelawny Parish, Jamaica, Voletta Wallace was raised in a modest household where education and hard work were core values. As a young woman, she pursued a career in teaching, a path that reflected her deep passion for education and discipline. Seeking better opportunities, she immigrated to the United States, settling in Brooklyn, New York, where she worked tirelessly as a preschool teacher to support herself and her only child, Christopher.
Raising a son alone in Brooklyn, particularly in the rough neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, was no easy task. She worked multiple jobs to ensure that her son had everything he needed, emphasizing the importance of education and steering him away from trouble. However, despite her best efforts, young Christopher was drawn to the streets, leading him to pursue rap music as an escape and a means to a better life.
Christopher Wallace, under the stage name Biggie Smalls, or The Notorious B.I.G., became a global icon almost overnight. With his debut album, Ready to Die (1994), he cemented himself as one of the greatest storytellers in hip-hop history. His deep, commanding voice, unparalleled lyricism, and ability to depict life in Brooklyn’s streets made him a legend.
Despite his growing success, Voletta Wallace remained his guiding force, always pushing him to stay grounded. She wasn’t initially fond of his explicit lyrics and involvement in the hip-hop industry’s violent rivalries, particularly the infamous East Coast vs. West Coast feud. However, she supported his ambitions, knowing that rap was his way of expressing his struggles and making a better future for himself and their family.
On March 9, 1997, Voletta Wallace’s world shattered. Christopher Wallace was gunned down in Los Angeles at the young age of 24, just days before the release of his second album, Life After Death. The murder was suspected to be linked to the ongoing feud between the East and West Coast rap scenes, particularly the tensions between Bad Boy Records and Death Row Records.
His death remains unsolved, and for Voletta, this was a pain she carried for the rest of her life. Despite investigations and multiple theories, no one was ever officially charged or brought to justice for his murder.
As a mother, she endured the unbearable grief of burying her only child, a pain no parent should ever have to experience. Yet, instead of letting sorrow consume her, she turned her pain into purpose.
In the wake of her son’s passing, Voletta Wallace became the guardian of his legacy. She managed his estate, ensuring that his name, music, and influence would live on. Under her leadership, The Notorious B.I.G.’s brand flourished, and his estate grew to an estimated worth of $160 million.
She played a significant role in numerous projects honoring his memory, including:
- The 2009 biographical film Notorious, which told the story of her son’s rise to fame and tragic end.
- The 2020 induction of The Notorious B.I.G. into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an emotional moment that solidified his place among music’s greatest legends.
- Licensing deals, posthumous albums, and merchandise sales that continued to make Biggie’s influence relevant to new generations.
His estate is now managed by his children, T’yanna Wallace and CJ Wallace, alongside the Wallace estate, which Voletta controlled until her passing.
Despite her relentless efforts, Voletta Wallace never saw justice for her son. For decades, she pushed for answers, calling out the Los Angeles Police Department for mishandling the case. In several interviews, she expressed her strong belief that she knew who was responsible, yet no official conviction was ever made.
She once stated:
“I have a very good idea who murdered my son. And that’s why I believe that the LAPD is covering up for their own reasons. They’ve done nothing to solve my son’s murder.”
Her fight for justice ended without closure, a painful reality that will forever remain part of Biggie’s story.
On February 21, 2025, at the age of 78, Voletta Wallace passed away peacefully at her home in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. The cause of her death was reported as natural causes.
Her passing marked the end of an era, but her strength, resilience, and unwavering love for her son will never be forgotten. She fought for his name, his legacy, and the justice she never received, ensuring that The Notorious B.I.G. would live on as one of the greatest rappers of all time.
Voletta Wallace was more than just Biggie’s mother; she was a symbol of strength and perseverance. She sacrificed everything for her son, and when he was taken from her, she dedicated her life to keeping his memory alive.
Though she never got the justice she deserved, she left behind a powerful legacy, ensuring that Christopher Wallace’s influence will never fade.
May she rest in peace.
Voletta Wallace, manman devwe Christopher Wallace, ke lemonn antye te konnen kòm The Notorious B.I.G., te viv yon lavi ki make pa rezilyans, fòs, ak lanmou san limit pou pitit gason li. Soti nan rasin imil li nan Trelawny Parish, Jamayik, pou rive nan gwo batay li kòm yon manman sèl ki leve youn nan pi gwo lejand hip-hop yo nan Brooklyn, New York, istwa Voletta Wallace se yon istwa sakrifis, doulè, ak detèminasyon pou prezève eritaj pitit gason li.
Voletta Wallace te fèt an 1953 nan Trelawny Parish, Jamayik. Li te leve nan yon fanmi ki te mete aksan sou edikasyon ak travay di. Kòm yon jèn fanm, li te deside fè anseyans kòm karyè li, paske li te gen pasyon pou edikasyon ak disiplin. Chèche pi bon opòtinite, li te imigre Ozetazini epi li te etabli li nan Brooklyn, New York, kote li te travay san pran souf kòm yon pwofesè jadendanfan pou l te ka soutni tèt li ak sèl pitit li, Christopher.
Leve yon pitit gason poukont li nan Brooklyn, sitou nan katye difisil Bedford-Stuyvesant la, pa t fasil. Li te travay plizyè travay pou asire ke pitit li te genyen tout sa li bezwen. Li te mete edikasyon anvan, epi li te fè efò pou kenbe Christopher lwen move enfliyans yo. Malgre efò li, jèn Christopher te atire pa lavi lari a, sa ki te pouse li antre nan mizik rap kòm yon eskapwa ak yon mwayen pou l chèche yon vi miyò.
Christopher Wallace, anba non sèn Biggie Smalls oswa The Notorious B.I.G., te vin yon lejand atravè lemond prèske lannuit. Avèk premye album li, Ready to Die an 1994, li te fiksè plas li kòm youn nan pi gwo rakonte istwa nan hip-hop. Vwa li ki te fon e ki te bay lòd, lyri l yo ki te san parèy, ak fason li te dekri lavi nan Brooklyn te fè l vin yon ikon.
Malgre siksè li k ap grandi, Voletta Wallace te toujou fòs ki t ap gid li, toujou ankouraje li pou l rete ak pye l sou tè a. Okòmansman, li pa t twò renmen paròl eksplisit li yo ak patisipasyon li nan rivalite vyolan endistri hip-hop la, sitou konfli ki te egziste ant East Coast ak West Coast la. Sepandan, li te sipòte rèv li, paske li te konnen rap se te fason li pou l eksprime difikilte l yo epi kreye yon pi bon avni pou tèt li ak fanmi li.
Nan dat 9 mas 1997, mond Voletta Wallace kraze. Christopher Wallace te asasinen nan Los Angeles, lè li te sèlman 24 zan, kèk jou anvan l te gen pou l lanse dezyèm album li, Life After Death. Asasinay la te sipoze gen lyen ak rivalite ki te kontinye ant rap East Coast ak West Coast la, sitou tansyon ki te genyen ant Bad Boy Records ak Death Row Records.
Jiskaprezan, lanmò li rete san repons, epi pou Voletta, sa te yon doulè li te pote tout rès lavi li. Malgre ankèt ak divès teyori, pesonn pa janm arete oswa mennen devan lajistis pou zak kriminèl sa a.
Kòm yon manman, li te viv tris eksperyans pou l antere sèl pitit li, yon doulè okenn paran pa ta dwe sibi. Men, olye li kite lapenn detwi li, li te transfòme li an misyon pou kenbe eritaj pitit li vivan.
Apre lanmò pitit li, Voletta Wallace te pran responsablite pou jere eritaj li. Li te administre byen li yo pou l asire ke non li, mizik li, ak enfliyans li ta kontinye viv. Gras ak jesyon li, mak The Notorious B.I.G. te kontinye grandi, epi eritaj li te vin gen yon valè estime nan $160 milyon.
Li te jwe yon wòl enpòtan nan plizyè pwojè ki onore memwa pitit li, tankou fim biyografik Notorious ki te soti an 2009, ki te rakonte istwa pitit li, soti nan leve li rive nan trajedi lanmò li, entwodiksyon The Notorious B.I.G. nan Rock and Roll Hall of Fame an 2020, ki te yon moman emosyonnèl ki te mete l pami pi gwo lejand mizik yo, ak akò lisans, albòm pòsèy, ak vant machandiz ki kontinye fè Biggie rete enpòtan pou nouvo jenerasyon yo.
Kounye a, byen li yo jere pa pitit li yo, T’yanna Wallace ak CJ Wallace, ansanm ak Wallace Estate, ke Voletta t ap kontwole jiskaske l te mouri.
Malgre tout efò li, Voletta Wallace pa janm jwenn jistis pou pitit li. Pandan plizyè dizèn ane, li t ap chèche repons, li te mete LAPD anfas move jere dosye a. Li te eksprime kwayans fò li ke li te konnen kiyès ki responsab, men pesonn pa janm kondane.
Li te di yon fwa, mwen gen yon trè bon lide sou kiyès ki touye pitit gason m. E se poutèt sa mwen kwè ke LAPD kache verite a pou rezon pa yo. Yo pa janm fè anyen pou rezoud dosye lanmò pitit mwen an.
Batay li pou jistis te fini san okenn repons, yon reyalite ki pral toujou fè pati istwa Biggie.
Nan 21 fevriye 2025, nan laj 78 zan, Voletta Wallace mouri lakay li nan Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Rapò medikal yo endike li te mouri natirèlman.
Lanmò li make fen yon epòk, men fòs li, kouraj li, ak lanmou san limit li pou pitit li pa janm ap bliye. Li te goumen pou non li, eritaj li, ak jistis li pa janm jwenn, asire ke The Notorious B.I.G. ta kontinye viv kòm youn nan pi gran rapè tout tan.
Voletta Wallace se pa t sèlman manman Biggie, li te yon senbòl fòs ak detèminasyon. Li te sakrifye tout sa li te genyen pou pitit li, epi lè li te pèdi li, li te fè tout sa l te kapab pou l kenbe memwa li vivan.
Menm si li pa janm jwenn jistis li te merite a, li kite dèyè yon eritaj pwisan, asire ke Christopher Wallace ap toujou gen enpak sou mond lan.
Repose an pè, Voletta Wallace.
