Faith Evans Liable to Pay $12.5M to Trust of Notorious B.I.G.’s Late Mom Voletta

In a significant legal decision, Faith Evans, the widow of the late rapper Notorious B.I.G., has been ordered to pay a sum of £12.5 million, amounting to approximately $12,518,336, from the estate of her deceased husband to a trust established by his mother, Voletta Wallace. This ruling was made by Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery and was announced on Tuesday, October 27.

The order stipulates that the trust, which is entitled to both distributions from the estate and prejudgment interest, was set up to benefit Wallace’s legacy. The court documents indicate that the interest will be calculated at the statutory rate and compounded quarterly from the date of distribution until the payment is made.

This case traces its roots back to July 2025, when Wayne Barrow, the sole trustee designated by Voletta Wallace prior to her death, filed a lawsuit against Evans. Barrow succeeded Evans’ son, C.J., as the trustee, a change that reportedly caused tension between the parties involved. Legal representatives for both Evans and Barrow have been approached for their comments, although responses have yet to be received.

Barrow’s lawsuit highlighted disputes regarding the management of Notorious B.I.G.’s significant intellectual property and the appointments made by Wallace before her passing. Earlier in 2023, a Delaware judge ruled in favour of Barrow, underlining the issues surrounding the management of the estate. The lawsuit echoed one of B.I.G.’s own lyrics from “Ten Crack Commandments” which advised the importance of separating family from business dealings.

The origins of the estate management conflict date back to the creation of Notorious B.I.G., LLC in 2007, when Evans and Voletta formed the company to manage the rapper’s intellectual property. After Voletta’s death, she designated her share of the company’s interests to a trust, appointing Evans as the sole manager. However, a significant change was made just weeks before her passing when she amended her will to appoint Barrow, denying C.J. the position he had initially been granted.

As the legal wrangling continued, Barrow claimed that he faced obstruction from Evans when he attempted to exert the trust’s rights over the company shares. The court found that Evans may have been upset with her son’s removal by his grandmother, exacerbating the familial rifts that have emerged since B.I.G.’s untimely death.

In a statement following the court’s ruling, Barrow’s legal representative expressed satisfaction with the outcome, calling it a “total victory” and indicating that the resolution was overdue. Barrow has strong ties to B.I.G.’s family, having worked closely with them for several decades, and now looks forward to honouring Voletta Wallace’s wishes by managing the rapper’s legacy as intended.

The legal disputes surrounding Notorious B.I.G.’s estate are not yet over. A separate lawsuit filed by C.J. in Pennsylvania is still in progress, alleging that Barrow played a role in improperly influencing his grandmother’s decision to name him as the sole trustee and executor of his father’s estate. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how these ongoing legal battles will impact the legacy of one of hip-hop’s most influential figures.

The recent ruling serves as a stark reminder of the complexities involved in managing the estates of high-profile individuals, particularly when personal relationships intertwine with significant financial interests. The outcome reinforces the importance of clear and structured estate planning, especially in the world of entertainment, where the legacies of artists often hold immense value.