Voletta Wallace, Mother Of Notorious B.I.G., Passes Away, Leaving A Legacy Of Strength And Love

The hip-hop world is paying tribute to Voletta Wallace, the beloved mother of Notorious B.I.G., who passed away on Friday at the age of 72.

Known for her unwavering strength, grace, and dedication to preserving Biggie’s legacy, Voletta was more than just a mother—she was a cultural icon in her own right. Many will remember her as the woman who turned tragedy into a movement and kept Biggie’s name alive for generations.

Voletta, known to many as the mother of late rapper, Christopher Wallace, better known as Notorious B.I.G., died on Friday at her home in Stroudsburg, PA. She was reportedly under hospice care in her home and died of natural causes at the age of 72.

She was predeceased by her son who was murdered on March 9, 1997, after leaving an awards afterparty in Los Angeles.

The native of Jamaica moved to Brooklyn, New York where she welcomed her son with George Latore. She raised her only son as a single mom while working as a teacher. She spent the later years of her life in Stroudsburg, PA in a quiet neighborhood.

Voletta was active on Instagram until a few months prior to her death. She often posted about her son and grandchildren, C.J. Wallace and T'yanna Wallace.

She has more than 132,000 followers on Instagram and many left loving messages for her following her death.

"Rest in peace, Ms. Wallace. You birthed one of the greatest MC'S. Now you can rest with him," one person shared on her most recent post. Another added, "R.I.P. Ms. Voletta Wallace. Sending my sincerest and deepest condolences to the family, friends and fans." One other follower shared, "Rest Easy MaMa."

Voletta often shared her life on social media - from encouraging messages to information about her beloved son to the flowers in her home garden.

In January of 2024 she shared a photo of herself in her home captioned, "If life has taught me anything, it’s to keep pushing forward no matter what and to keep love in your heart."

Photos of Biggie can be seen in her photo and many fans took to the comments to share some positive words.

"Big up's to the women who raised the greatest rapper of all time!!" one person shared. Another added, "We love you Ms.Wallace keep pushing forward. God got you." One other person wrote, "Strength & love. Thank you For being a true love in real love. A pillar of strength."

In January 2020, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced Biggie's induction for the Class of 2020. Voletta spoke to Billboard about the exciting achievement.

"Today, I'm feeling great. As a mother, I'm extremely proud of his accomplishments," she said. "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, as a mother, I'm just elated for that."

Biggie's iconic career took off in the 90s with his 1994 debut album "Ready to Die." Following his death, his sophomore album, "Life After Death" was released and made it to the No. 1 spot on Billboard 200.

“Many of [his songs] speak truth,” Voletta said. “It might be gritty, and maybe the language is so out there, but he was honest. There was nothing fake about what he was doing. I think for such a young man to resonate such honesty in his lyrics is awesome.”

In May 2022, Voletta was front and center when the Empire State Building lit up in honor of her son.

"Tonight, the Empire State Building went B.I.G. Lighting up the city for my Son. Thank you for everyone who made this possible," she captioned her Instagram post celebrating the occasion.

The proud mom also shared many of her son's big achievements on her social media page. In fact, her final Instagram post was celebrating her beloved son.

"8 Million from 1 Billion in a year. Let’s get there next year," the caption reads, regarding Spotify Wrapped numbers.

RIP, Mrs. Wallace. You will be missed but never forgotten.