The Notorious B.I.G.'s mother, Voletta Wallace , has reportedly passed away at 78 after battling an illness. The Notorious B.I.G., also known as Biggie (Christopher Wallace), was gunned down in Los Angeles, California, after the Soul Train Awards in 1997. He was 24. His murder came after the murder of his industry rival, Tupac Shakur , who died in 1996. Both murders remain unsolved. Voletta, a former school teacher and Jamaican immigrant, became highly involved in her only c