Voletta Wallace, the mother of the pioneering 1990s rapper The Notorious B.I.G., has died in hospice care at the age of 72.
Biggie Smalls, as he was known to fans, was one of the reigning hip hop stars of his era until he was murdered in a drive-by shooting in 1997 at the age of 24.
His legend only grew after his death, nurtured by his mother, who successfully ran his estate throughout the remainder of her own lifetime.
By the time of Wallace’s demise, her son’s estate was thought to be worth $160 million, more than 10 times the $10 million it was estimated at when Biggie was killed.
She proved a deft steward of his legacy, even producing his acclaimed 2009 biopic Notorious, in which she was played by Angela Bassett.
Wallace died of natural causes Friday morning in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, the Monroe County Coroner informed TMZ.
Voletta Wallace, the mother of the pioneering 1990s rapper The Notorious B.I.G., has died in hospice care at the age of 72; pictured with her son in an undated throwback
