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Sad news out of the world of music today, as Violetta Wallace, the mother of hip icon Notorious B.I.G. has passed away.
She was 72 years old.
In the years following her son’s death, Voletta became a media staple in her own right as a result of her efforts to keep his legacy alive.
Voletta also oversaw Biggie’s estate and helped to ensure that his considerable wealth was passed down to his family, including his daughter T’yanna Wallace.
Voletta always showed up for important events honoring her son’s memory, including his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the premiere of the Biggie biopic Notorious.
Her Instagram page was almost entirely devoted to preserving her son’s music and cultural impact for future generations.
According to a report obtained by TMZ, Monroe County Coroner Thomas Yanac revealed that Voletta died Friday morning in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
Voletta Wallace’s cause of death revealed
The coroner also revealed that Voletta was in hospice care when she passed. His report indicates that she died of natural causes.
A Jamaican immigrant and school teacher, Voletta raised Biggie — whose real name was Christopher Wallace — on her own after his father walked out on the family in 1974.
She turned her grief to activism after her son was murdered on March 9, 1997, while leaving a Soul Train Awards afterparty in Los Angeles.
Six months later, Biggie’s chief rival, Tupac Shakur, was also gunned down. Both murders remain unsolved to this day.
Former Los Angeles gang leader Duane ‘Keefe D’ Davis was arrested in 2023 for Tupac’s murder. He is still awaiting trial.
Voletta’s legacy will live on
In the decades that followed hip hop’s deadliest feud, Voletta became a legend in her own right.
Her tireless efforts to preserve her son’s legacy and to call attention to the problem of gun violence in America earned her praise and recognition far beyond the world of music.
“As a mother, I’m extremely proud of his accomplishments,” she remarked on the occasion of Biggie’s Hall of Fame induction. “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.”
Our thoughts go out to Voletta’s loved ones during this difficult time.