Voletta Wallace worked to elevate her son's short-lived but influential career to hip-hop greatness. Notorious B.I.G. was gunned down in 1997 in Los Angeles.

Voletta Wallace, the dedicated mother of the late great rapper The Notorious B.I.G., died Friday morning at 78. Monroe County Coroner Thomas Yanac confirmed her death Friday to The Associated Press, saying she died at her home in Stroudsburg,

Our mother, our matriarch, the woman who dedicated herself to uplifting her son...and preserving his legacy has passed," a social media account associated with the Notorious BIG's estate posted.

Voletta Wallace reflects on the therapeutic experience of listening to the music of her son, Notorious B.I.G., for the first time.