Hip-hop community remembers Voletta Wallace, mother of The Notorious B.I.G., dead at 78

Voletta Wallace, mother of legendary rapper Notorious B.I.G., has died in in Pennsylvania. She was 78. According to the Monroe County Coroner’s Office, 78-year-old Wallace was pronounced dead of natural causes on Friday, Feb. 21, the Pocono Record reported. Wallace had been under hospice care at her home in the Poconos at the time of her death. “We suffered a tremendous loss today. Our mother, our matriarch, the woman who dedicated herself to uplifting her son, Christopher Wallace, and preserving his legacy has passed,” her family posted to her official Facebook page. It is with immense sadness that we share this news with you, and ask that you give our family the space and time needed to grieve this monumental loss. Thank you for your continued outpouring of love, prayers and condolences in this difficult time.” Wallace was known to be the mother of hip-hop royalty Christopher George Latore Wallace, otherwise known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls. Biggie Smalls was killed March 9, 1997, as a result of a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. Wallace was known for her role as an outspoken activist, and has made numerous appearances at fundraisers and other events held in her late...