Voletta Wallace, mother of legendary rapper Notorious B.I.G., has passed away at age 78 in hospice care of natural causes, as confirmed by Monroe County Coroner Thomas Yanac.

A former preschool teacher, Wallace dedicated her life to preserving her son's legacy following his tragic death in a drive-by shooting on March 9, 1997. Christopher "Biggie" Wallace was only 24 years old when he was killed.

Her notable contributions to her son's legacy include:

• Accepting the MTV Video Music Award for Biggie's Life After Death album
• Establishing the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation
• Contributing to the 2018 film "City of Lies" about police investigations into Biggie's death
• Advocating for unity alongside Afeni Shakur, Tupac's mother, despite the rappers' prior rivalry

In her final years, Wallace remained a strong voice in hip-hop culture. Her last public statement addressed Sean "Diddy" Combs amid his legal troubles, expressing disappointment in her son's former collaborator. "I hope that I see Sean one day, and the only thing I want to do is slap the daylights out of him," she told Rolling Stone in May.

Wallace's enduring impact on hip-hop culture is reflected in her observation about her son's lasting influence: "I see kids who weren't even born yet when he died and still they're saying how much they love my son's music."

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