Information Americas, New York, NY, Fri. Feb. 21, 2025: Voletta Wallace, the Caribbean immigrant and Jamaican born mom of the late rap icon The Infamous B.I.G., has handed away on the age of 78. Wallace, who was in hospice care at her residence in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, died of pure causes, in accordance with the Monroe County Coroner’s Workplace.
Born in Trelawney, Jamaica, the hometown additionally of Olympian Usain St. Leo Bolt, Wallace was a faithful mom who performed a central position in shaping the lifetime of her son, Christopher Wallace, recognized later to the world as Biggie Smalls. A former pre-school trainer, she raised him as a single dad or mum in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, holding an in depth watch on him whilst he pursued his ardour for music. Biggie referenced his mom in lots of his songs, together with the 1994 traditional ‘Juicy‘ and ‘Issues Accomplished Modified.’
Following Biggie’s tragic homicide in 1997, Wallace turned the guardian of his legacy, overseeing his property and guaranteeing that his impression on music and tradition remained alive. Simply six months after his passing, she took the stage on the MTV Video Music Awards, accepting his award for Greatest Rap Video with grace and resilience. Along with her voice briefly breaking, she honored her son’s roots: “If my son was right here tonight, the very first thing he would have achieved is say… huge as much as Brooklyn.”
Decided to share Biggie’s story, she authored the 2005 memoir, ‘Biggie: Voletta Wallace Remembers Her Son, Christopher Wallace, aka Infamous B.I.G.,’ the place she mirrored on the immense love individuals nonetheless had for him. “That can’t take my ache away… He was my child. I’m a mom and I’ll at all times be a mom,” she stated in an emotional NPR interview.
In 2009, she served as a producer for the biopic ‘Infamous,’ the place Angela Bassett portrayed her. Wallace incessantly visited the set and admitted the expertise was deeply emotional. “It made me offended, made me unhappy. I realized loads about my son – loads that I by no means knew. However I nonetheless love him as a result of he was from right here,” she stated, putting a hand over her coronary heart.
Wallace remained energetic in celebrating her son’s contributions to hip-hop. In 2022, she joined Biggie’s kids, Lil’ Kim, and Lil’ Stop to mild up the Empire State Constructing in purple and white in honor of what would have been his fiftieth birthday. The tribute was a part of a collection of commemorations, together with a MetroCard that includes Biggie’s picture and an orchestral tribute at Lincoln Middle.
Congressman and Democratic Home Minority Chief, Hakeem Jeffries, who represents Biggie’s residence borough of Brooklyn, paid tribute to Wallace, calling her an “clever, sturdy, and dignified Queen Mom who raised a legend.”
“We mourn her loss, however rejoice her life and take consolation from the truth that she is now reunited together with her beloved Infamous B.I.G. in heaven. Could she perpetually relaxation in peace,” he stated.
Voletta Wallace’s unwavering love and dedication to her son ensured that his legacy endured lengthy after his passing. Now, she rests alongside him, perpetually remembered because the matriarch of considered one of hip-hop’s biggest icons.
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