Voletta Wallace, the mother of the late American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., has died at the age of 78. She passed away from natural causes on Friday morning in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, as confirmed by the Monroe County Coroner’s office.
Wallace was widely recognized for her role in managing her son’s estate following his tragic murder in a drive-by shooting in 1997 at the age of 24. Under her stewardship, the estate of Biggie Smalls—one of the foremost figures in hip-hop—grew significantly, valued at approximately $160 million at the time of her death, up from an estimated $10 million at the time of his passing, according to reports by TMZ.
Her death comes just months after she made headlines for her candid remarks about Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is currently incarcerated while awaiting trial on multiple charges, including rape.
In 1993, Biggie, whose real name was Christopher Wallace, became the first artist to sign with Diddy’s Bad Boy Records, marking the beginning of a remarkable career that would leave an indelible mark on the music industry.
