Heartfelt Farewell: Voletta Wallace Dies at 78, Revered Guardian of The Notorious B.I.G.’s Legacy
Voletta Wallace, the cherished mother of iconic rapper The Notorious B.I.G., passed away at the age of 78 on Friday. Monroe County Coroner Thomas Yanac confirmed that she died of natural causes at her home in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, after receiving hospice care. Despite initial skepticism towards her son’s music, Voletta became a dedicated guardian of his legacy. She initially dismissed Biggie’s music as “noise,” but after his tragic death, she found solace and therapy in his art. In a 2017 interview, she reflected on her emotional journey of finally listening to his music, recognizing his extraordinary talent and voice.
Throughout her life, Voletta remained a private individual, catapulted into the public eye after her son’s untimely death at 24 from an unsolved shooting in Los Angeles in 1997. Christopher Wallace, known as The Notorious B.I.G., became a defining figure in hip-hop with his raw storytelling of Brooklyn street life and remarkable music achievements. His debut album, “Ready to Die,” released under Bad Boy Records in 1994, achieved monumental success, selling over 6 million units by 2018. Hits like “Big Poppa” and “Juicy” established him as a force in the rap world. Posthumously, his second album “Life After Death,” released two weeks after his death, saw even greater success with over 11 million records sold, featuring timeless hits like “Mo Money Mo Problems” and “Hypnotize.”
In 2021, Voletta served as an executive producer for the Netflix documentary “Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell,” further ensuring her son’s story was told authentically. She emphasized her reclusive nature and reiterated her unawareness of the intricacies of her son’s public life. Her passing leaves a significant impact on the hip-hop community, as she was a steadfast custodian of her son’s legendary status.
Original Story https://abc7chicago.com/post/voletta-wallace-death-biggie-smalls-mom-dies-78-remembered-dedicated-keeper-legacy-son-notorious-big/15942260/
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