Voletta Wallace, The Notorious B.I.G.’s Mom, Dead at 78

February 23, 2025 4

Voletta Wallace, the mother of late rap icon The Notorious B.I.G., has passed away at the age of 78.

Voletta Wallace Dies

On Friday (Feb. 21), TMZ broke the news Biggie’s mom passed away on Friday morning in Stroudsburg, Pa. Monroe County Coroner, Thomas Yanac, has confirmed to XXL that Wallace had been in hospice care leading up to her death, which was the result of natural causes.

Voletta Wallace was an integral part of keeping Biggie’s legacy alive and business in order following the rapper’s death in 1997 at the age of 24. She also spent many years seeking justice for her son’s murder, which remains unsolved. Voletta filed wrongful death lawsuits against the Los Angeles Police Department in 2002 and 2007. The first suit ended in a mistrial and the second filing was dismissed in 2010.

In 2017, she said she believed she knew who was behind Biggie’s death.

“I have a very good idea who murdered Christopher and I genuinely believe that the LAPD know exactly who did too,” Voletta said in an interview with the Daily Mail. “They’ve done their investigation, but they just refuse to move forward. I don’t know why they haven’t arrested who was involved. It seems to me that it’s one giant conspiracy, and someone is definitely being protected somewhere down the line.”

Voletta was a producer on the 2009 film biopic Notorious. In 2011, she signed a licensing deal with Brand Sense Partners to manage licensing and merchandising for the Brooklyn native’s name and likeness. According to TMZ, Biggie’s estate’s estimated worth has gone from $10 million to $160 million since the rapper’s tragic passing.