What Happens to Biggie’s Estate After Voletta Wallace’s Passing?

The Notorious B.I.G. has been immortalized throughout all aspects of hip-hop ever since he burst onto the scene in the mid-1990s. In the 28 years since his tragic murder, his loving mother, Voletta Wallace, served as the unwavering force behind keeping B.I.G’s legacy alive and well. However, in the wake of her own passing at the age of 78, the culture is wondering what happens next for the late Brooklyn MC’s estate.

While Biggie Smalls is, and always will be, one of the most iconic and influential figures in the rap game, he was simply known to Ms. Wallace as her son, Christopher. So, from the moment Frank White was gunned down in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997, Voletta took it upon herself to passionately do everything in her power to seek justice for the rapper’s unsolved murder.

Voletta, who died of natural causes on Feb. 21, 2025, spent years appearing in countless interviews and attending awards shows accepting honors on her son’s behalf, refusing to pull punches. She made every move while letting her intentions be known loud and clear; the world will never forget The Notorious B.I.G.

In carrying on her life’s work in the name of the late great Biggie Smalls, Ms. Wallace maintained his estate through merchandise, licensing his likeness. She even took on a role as a producer on the 2009 film Notorious, a B.I.G. biopic in which her character was portrayed by award-winning actress Angela Bassett. According to TMZ, Voletta’s efforts saw the estimated value of The Notorious B.I.G.’s estate rise from $10 million at the time of his death to $160 million currently.

Now, without his mother on this earthly plane to oversee the literal big business that has become Biggie Smalls, it’s likely that his estate will fall on the shoulders of his first-born daughter, T’yanna Dream Wallace. As the next of kin to her recently passed grandmother, T’yanna has already proven herself worthy of carrying on her father’s legacy.

While attending Penn State University in 2017, T’yanna used her then-budding business acumen to launch Notoriouss Clothing. The boutique line features street-chic designs infused with her father’s immediately recognizable lyrics and undeniable swagger. In March of 2024, she opened the first-ever museum dedicated to The Notorious B.I.G. Aptly titled The Biggie Experience, the Brooklyn-based museum serves as a free-standing Mecca to fans of the late rap phenomenon. XXL has reached out to T’yanna Wallace for a statement on the handling of The Notorious B.I.G.’s estate.

With certainly no end in sight for the lasting legacy of Biggie Smalls, Voletta Wallace should always be remembered as the proud mama responsible for making sure Big Poppa remains a major part of hip-hop history. She worked tirelessly to build an empire from her son’s foundation and she loved to show him off, of course.