Voletta Wallace, mother of notorious B.I.G. is dead

Voletta Wallace, mother of the late hip-hop icon The Notorious B.I.G., has died at the age of 78.

According to the Monroe County Coroner, she passed away Friday morning in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, due to natural causes.

Wallace was widely known for managing her son Biggie Smalls’ estate.

Biggie, one of the most influential rappers of his time, was tragically killed in a drive-by shooting in 1997 at the age of 24.

At the time of her death, his estate was estimated to be worth $160 million— a dramatic increase from the $10 million valuation shortly after his murder, according to TMZ.

Her passing comes only months after she made controversial remarks about Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is currently incarcerated and facing multiple charges, including rape. In 1993, Biggie—born Christopher Wallace—became the first artist to sign with Diddy’s label, Bad Boy Records.