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Voletta Wallace, the mother of the late Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace, has died. According to still-developing reports, Voletta Wallace passed from natural causes.
TMZ was the first to report the news of Voletta Wallace’s passing, noting that the retired schoolteacher passed away in Stroudsburg, Penn. The outlet adds that Wallace was in hospice care in the Pennsylvania town according to Monroe County Coroner Thomas Yanac.
Wallace, a native of Jamaica, moved to Brooklyn N.Y. where she and George Latore welcomed their son, Christopher, who would later become known as rapper Biggie Smalls before taking on The Notorious B.I.G. stage name for legal purposes. Wallace raised her son as a single mom while working in education, and as Biggie’s star rose, she was a major fixture in his life.
After the tragic loss of her son, Wallace continued to uphold the legacy of The Notorious B.I.G. and oversaw his estate, including making certain that his daughter, T’yanna Wallace, and son, C.J. Wallace were taken care of. She also released the book Biggie: Voletta Wallace Remembers Her Son, Christopher Wallace, aka Notorious B.I.G in 2005.
Via her Instagram page, several images of her and her son adorn the pages along with a consistent celebration of Biggie’s achievements in the industry and how his name still lives on in the minds of many. Online, fans are showing their respect and mourning the loss.
Rest in peace to Voletta Wallace.
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Chelsea Reject, a talented rapper out of New York who has worked alongside several underground acts such as the sprawling Beast Coast collective and others, has died. A GoFundMe for Chelsea Reject has been established by her partner to help with the costs of funeral services.
Chelsea Reject, real name Chelsea Alexander, as seen in The Express Tribune, worked alongside the likes of Mick Jenkins, Kota The Friend, Dirty Sanchez 47 of the Pro Era collective, CJ Fly, also of Pro Era fame, Joey BadA$$, AKTHESAVIOR of The Underachievers, and Raz Fresco among other underground notables.
Hip-Hop Wired has featured the Brooklyn native’s music in our CRT FRSH (Certified Fresh) playlist music roundup in times past. Reject’s last recorded project, Rogue alongside former Pro Era member T’Nah, was released in August of 2024. She also featured on Mahogany Jones’ “GO (Ma$terPiece Remix 2)” last year.
T’Nah shared a loving post in honor of CR via Instagram that we’ll share below in the gallery:
Haha we were so enthused and ready and everything was gonna change this year. She was my battery pack – we were JUST about to get back in the gym next this week. She would love that some of yall been in the gym on her behalf. Keep going. It’ll help.
Gon be so hard. To muster up the energy without you Chelsea. But yea. Not gonna take anything you taught me for granted!!!!
As seen in the Tribute piece, CR’s partner, Brian Harris, established a GoFundMe that, of this writing, has raised over 85% of its $15,000 goal.
To show your support for Chelsea Reject’s family, please follow this link. Keep scrolling to see some of CR’s past collaborators and recording partners share their condolences.
May Chelsea Reject rest powerfully in peace.
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Barry Michael Cooper, a writer who penned the screenplay for New Jack City and reportedly coined the phrase “New Jack Swing,” has died. Barry Michael Cooper’s other works include writings in The Village Voice and lent his abilities to other notable films etched in the lore of Black cinema.
According to a report from TMZ, Barry Michael Cooper passed away this past Tuesday (Jan. 21) in his adopted city of Baltimore, Md., where Cooper resided after penning screenplays for New Jack City, Sugar Hill, and Above The Rim, the “Harlem Trilogy” as the trio of films are sometimes called.
Prior to his screenwriting success in the 1990s, Cooper was a music critic for The Village Voice between 1980 and 1989. He also penned the piece “Teddy Riley’s New Jack Swing: Harlem Gangsters Raise A Genius,” with some giving him credit for naming the music style of New Jack Swing that Riley innovated as a producer and member of the R&B trio Guy.
Writer Nelson George penned a short but moving obituary piece for Cooper via his Substack site and highlighted the pair’s longtime connection and Cooper’s allegiance to Harlem despite relocating to Baltimore years ago.
From The Nelson George Mixtape:
Barry Michael Cooper died today in Baltimore, according to his son Mathew. It’ll take me a minute to gather all my thoughts, but just wanted to thank him for recommending to Robert Christgau at the Village Voice when I was trying to write for the Riffs section back in 1981. It was a key moment in my career and life. Barry helped define pop culture in the ‘80s and ‘90s with his early reporting on crack, by naming Teddy Riley’s sound “new jack swing,” and writing star vehicles for Wesley Snipes (New Jack City, Sugar Hill) and Tupac (Above the Rim.) Though he lived much of the last decades of his life in Baltimore, he was Harlem to his core.
Barry Michael Cooper was 66.
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Sam Moore, who found fame as part of the Sam & Dave duo that delivered the “Soul Man” hit, has died. According to Sam Moore’s publicist, the singer passed away last Friday after complications surrounding a recent surgery procedure.
Sam Moore was born Samuel David Hicks on October 12, 1935, in Miami, Fla. After his mother married his stepfather, Charlie Moore, he took the surname. Moore began singing in church choirs as a young man and joined doo-wop groups but gospel music was where he was a notable force. Moore would be discovered alongside his future Sam & Dave partner and fellow gospel singer, the late Dave Prather, in 1961 at Miami’s King Of Hearts Club and subsequently signing with Roulette Records, a label with reported New York mob ties and was home to acts such as Pearl Bailey and Frankie Lymon among others.
As was customary during this time, Sam & Dave signed with Atlantic Records in 1964 and were contracted out to Stax Records to construct and release records. The fruitful union spawned hits such as “Hold On! I’m Comin’,” “I Thank You,” and perhaps the duo’s best-known hit, “Soul Man” which was written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter. Booker T. & The M.G.’s, which provided backing instrumentation for several Sam & Dave tracks, was also on hand for the hit.
England’s The Times revealed in their obituary that Moore broke personal ties with his partner after Prather shot his wife in 1968. The pair would continue to perform together but officially split ways for good in 1981. The Times also notes that Moore fathered several children with multiple women and worked as a pimp and conman, some of which was mentioned in an autobiography, For the Record 3: Sam and Dave by Dave Marsh.
After kicking a heroin addiction, Moore would see a late-career resurgence, even re-recording “Soul Man” alongside Lou Reed for the 1986 film of the same name. He remained an active touring and recording musician up until 2022, joining Bruce Springsteen on the New Jersey rocker’s R&B and soul cover album, Only The Strong Survive.
As mentioned at the top of the article, Moore passed after complications from surgery in Coral Gables, Fla. but details are scant beyond that. It isn’t known the exact number of children and no obituaries that we’ve seen gave an accurate number.
Sam Moore was 89.
[h/t Associated Press]
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Richard Parsons, a Black executive lauded for his efforts leading Time Warner and Citigroup, died on Thursday (Dec. 26) at the age of 76. Richard Parsons navigated deals such as splitting one-time Internet giant AOL from Time Warner and other notable moves.
Richard Parsons, who also went by the shortened version of his name Dick, was born on April 4, 1948, in New York and was raised in the South Ozone Park in Queens. Raised by parents of middle-class means, Parsons was an exceptional student in grade school ahead of attending the University of Hawaii at Manoa on a basketball scholarship. Returning to the mainland, Parsons entered Albany Law School of Union University, New York, and earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1971.
Parsons’ legal career began after he was invited to work for New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, who was later appointed as Vice President of the United States by President Gerald Ford. Parsons traveled to Washington to work alongside Rockefeller in 1974, crossing paths with fellow lawyer Rudolph Giuliani during this stretch. From 1977 to 1988, Parsons worked for the Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler law firm and was made partner.
In 1991, Parsons was asked to join Time Warner’s board and later became its president in 1995. Parsons oversaw Time Warner’s merger with AOL in 2000, but the partnership did not create the financial windfall some expected. After Time Warner Chief Executive Gerald Levin retired in 2001, Parsons stepped in to take Levin’s place. Under Parson’s leadership, Time Warner successfully split from AOL by removing the name association with the company and lowering the company’s $30 billion debt to $16.8 billion after selling Warner Music and portions of the wider business.
After stepping down in 2007 from Time Warner, two years later Parsons became the chairman of Citigroup, using his management and business oversight skills to help the banking company after it was hit by the financial crisis. In 2014, Parsons worked as the interim CEO for the Los Angeles Clippers after the NBA banned owner Donald Sterling for life for his racist remarks. Parsons, a Republican Party voter, did not involve himself with racial politics and famously downplayed race in interviews electing to focus on other aspects of himself.
In 2015, Parsons was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and officially retired in 2018 due to health concerns. Parsons passed away at his Manhattan home according to reports. His death was confirmed by Lazard, where he was a board member.
Richard Parsons is survived by his wife, Laura, and their three children.
[h/t CNBC]
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Art Evans, a veteran actor who broke into the film business in the 1970s and starred in Die Hard 2, passed away last weekend at the age of 82. A California native, Art Evans starred in a diverse slate of films, including CB4, Metro, and The Mighty Quinn.
Art Evans was born on March 27, 1942, in Berkeley, Calif., and began his acting career in the 1960s in Los Angeles as a stage actor. One of Evans’ first major roles was in Christine, directed by John Carpenter and based on a novel by Stephen King. He also starred in A Solider’s Story starring Denzel Washington, Howard E. Rollings Jr., and David Allen Grier, among others. In 1990, Evans landed the role of Leslie Barnes, the Dulles International Airport engineer who helped Bruce Willis’ John McClane avert a terrorist attack.
Evans also had significant roles on television on shows such as The X-Files, Monk, Family Matters, and M*A*S*H. He also had a role in A Different World as the father of Ron Johnson (Darryl M. Bell).
Evans’ last credited role from IMDB was a voice role on The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder television series in 2022.
As seen on Variety, the family of Evans shared a statement that read, “We are heartbroken to share that Art has passed away. Please respect our privacy at this time. A memorial will be held for friends and family to attend at a later date. Thank you.”
Art Evans is survived by his wife, Babe Evans, and their son Ogadae Evans.
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Nikki Giovanni, the famed poet, activist, and educator, died on Monday (Dec. 9). As the news of Nikki Giovanni’s death began to spread online, many are remembering the celebrated scribe and her weight contributions to culture.
Nikki Giovanni was born Yolande Cornelia Giovanni Jr. in Knoxville, Tenn. on June 7, 1943. Raised primarily in Ohio, Giovanni was referred to as “Nikki” by her sister, and the nickname stuck. In 1960, Giovanni attended Fisk University in Nashville. In 1967, Giovanni graduated with a B.A. degree in History.
Shortly after, Giovanni was inspired to write after the passing of her grandmother and these writings would later form the basis of her poetry collection, Black Feelings, Black Talk. After briefly attending the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work and Columbia University School of the Arts, Giovanni began teaching in 1969 at Rutgers University.
Giovanni was one of the prominent names within the Black Arts Movement, later releasing a series of books and spoken world albums in addition to her teaching duties from the 1970s through the 1980s. During the late ’80s, Giovanni began teaching writing and literature at Virginia Tech from 1987 to 2022 and in that time she received 20 honorary doctorates and dozens of awards for her work and service to the community. Among the honorifics, Giovanni was made an Honorary Member of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.
Giovanni is survived by her wife Virginia Fowler, son Thomas Giovanni, granddaughter Kai Giovanni, and a host of other close relatives.
Nikki Giovani was 81. May she rest powerfully in peace.
[h/t WDBJ]
Learn more about Giovanni’s life and work here.
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Saafir, a talented rapper who was a standout lyricist in the 1990s, was an influential component of the sprawling West Coast underground scene that boosted the likes of the Hieroglyphics and more. According to one of Saafir’s close allies in music, the “Light Sleeper” rapper died on Tuesday morning after reports of him battling health issues surfaced years ago.
On Tuesday (November 19), Xzibit shared a photo of Saafir, who also went by the name of Shaft Yella, with a caption that revealed that the rapper had passed away.
From IG:
I can’t believe I’m writing this right now, but don’t know what else to do at the moment. Approximately at 8:45am this morning, my brother Reggie known to the world as Saafir passed away. We have so much history I can’t even explain what I’m feeling right now. We surrounded him and let him know how much we loved him. He can rest now.
Friends, Family, everyone that rocked with us from the Hip Hop community, if you could be so solid and reach out for @chopblack his younger brother, and @lilsaafir his son, the family really needs to be supported during this time. That’s all I have right now. My soul is crushed.
We love you Bro.
REST IN POWER
Saafir The Saucee Nomad.
Saafir, real name Reggie Gibson, burst onto the scene with his debut album, Boxcar Sessions, which was released via the late Quincy Jones’ Qwest recording label in conjunction with Reprise and Warner Bros Records. Later in life, Saafir converted to Islam and when we have his full righteous name, we will update this post.
The Saucee Nomad famously battled members of the aforementioned Hieroglyphics by himself in a classic radio battle on KMEL’s Wake Up Show with Sway Calloway and DJ King Tech that became the stuff of legend in underground circles. Gibson also worked as an actor, making his debut on film in 1993’s Menace II Society as Cousin Harold.
Along with his solo career, Gibson was a member of the Hobo Junction, a collective of rappers and producers that featured prominently on his debut album. He was also a member of the Golden State Warriors supergroup with Xzibit and Ras Kass.
On X, formerly Twitter, fans of Saafir are joined in mourning the Oakland visionary. We’ve got reactions below. We will update this post with new details and a playlist of songs.
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Quincy Jones, a legendary record producer and songwriter who worked with several musical greats, died over the weekend in his California home. The enormity of the loss of Quincy Jones is on full display on social media, most especially the X social media platform.
Quincy Jones was born on March 14, 1933, in Chicago, Ill. Music became a part of Jones’ life at a young age under the guidance of his mother and a next-door neighbor. The idea of becoming a professional bloomed when Jones was a teenager, crossing paths with a blind pianist and singer by the name of Ray Charles who was just a couple of years his senior.
In the early 1950s, Jones, who was a trumpet player early on, studied for a short while at the Schillinger House facility, now known today as the Berklee College of Music. At the age of 20 in 1953, Jones hit the road as a trumpeter and arranger for Lionel Hampton. This opened doors for Jones to become an arranger for Dinah Washington, Clifford Brown, Cannonball Adderley, Count Basie, and others. In 1956, Jones joined Dizzy Gillespie’s band as a trumpeter and became its musical director. In that same year, Jones released his first album as a band leader.
Jones’ ear for music and talents as an arranger created a pathway for him to join Mercury Records as its A&R director and in 1964, he was named a vice president at the label, becoming one of the top Black executives in music at the time. Jones would continue to work as an arranger for the likes of Frank Sinatra and Billy Eckstine and moved into composing music for the film industry.
After suffering a brain aneurysm, Jones briefly stepped away from the music industry but returned and found himself drawn to producing pop records. Jones created his record label, Qwest, in 1980. He would also become a film producer in 1985, helping bring The Color Purple to life along with creating the score for the award-winning film.
Source: David Hume Kennerly / Getty
Among Jones’ several achievements, his work with the late Michael Jackson remains notable to this day. Jones was the producer of Jackson’s Off The Wall, Thriller, and Bad which all were massive successes and added to the legacy of both Jones and Jackson alike. During this time, Jones also produced the star-studded fundraising “We Are The World” single. Jones also dabbled in bringing television shows to fruition, serving as a producer for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In 1993, Jones founded Vibe magazine and owned the publication until 2006.
Source: William Nation / Getty
Jones has been awarded several honors, including the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2011, the Ahmet Ertegun Award in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, 28 Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Tony Award, seven Oscar nominations, the Los Angeles Press Club Visionary Award in 2014 to count just a handful of his accolades.
Source: Bettmann / Getty
In the Hip-Hop sphere, tracks that Jones produced have been the sonic backdrop to acts such as De La Soul, Nas, 2Pac, The Pharcyde, Mobb Deep, LL COOL J, Kanye West, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, and more. Jones also embraced Hip-Hop as a producer, working with Big Daddy Kane and Kool Moe Dee on his Back On The Black album in 1989, and Kid Capri, LL COOL J, Funkmaster Flex, Heavy D, and more on Q’s Jook Joint in 1995.
Quincy Jones is survived by seven children: Rashida Jones, Kidada Jones, Kenya Kinski-Jones, Quincy Jones III, Jolie Jones Levine, Martina Jones, and Rachel Jones. Jones is also survived by his grandchildren. Isaiah Jones Koenig, Quincy Renzo Delight Jones IV, and Nea Jones.
On X, the passing of Jones is the number one trending topic and we’ve got the reactions listed down below.
Quincy Jones was 91.
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Kaseem “KA” Ryan began his Hip-Hop career in relative obscurity in the 1990s but later emerged as one of the most important writers within the genre. With the news of KA passing away over the weekend going wide, Hip-Hop fans and artists alike are mourning the loss of the talented Brooklyn wordsmith.
pic.twitter.com/I6Vf5a5z3r
— Ka (@BrownsvilleKa) October 14, 2024
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KA was born Kaseem Ryan on August 11, 1972, and was a proud son of the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y. His musical career began as a member of the underground group Natural Elements but he would vacate his role, focusing on other endeavors.
After the Natural Elements stint, Ryan joined forces with his friend Kev to form the Nightbreed crew but, just as he did with his former group, Ryan felt that his abilities were lacking in comparison to his rhyming partners.
Ryan speaks about his background during a stellar 2016 interview with the Red Bull Music Academy, which you can find here.
KA would begin his long transformation as an artist via his debut album, Iron Works, which also was the name of his imprint and further a calling to his signature sound. The project caught the ears of fellow Brooklynite GZA, who invited Ryan to join the Wu-Tang Clan swordsman on the chilling track “Firehouse,” produced by Roc Marciano, another artist who transcended his earlier sound and took his art to a stripped-down but still potent level.
In 2012, KA would release Grief’s Pedigree, leaning further into his minimalist, sparse yet lyrically dense style. Blessed already with a distinct, gravelly voice, Ryan used his tone but also his shockingly vulnerable lyrics to great effect. It was not music designed for the day party. Instead, it was meant to be absorbed, dissected, studied, and overall, respected.
The Night’s Gambit. Honor Killed The Samurai. Descendants Of Cain. A Martyr’s Reward. Languish Arts. Woeful Studies. The Thief Next To Jesus. Each of these albums carries its own sonic identity and there is no recommended starting point. Each release is so dense that one will be unpacking the meanings over several dozen listens and still not catch everything.
One of Ryan’s greatest gifts was his commitment to a concept. His will to use every bit of his ability and how he managed to refine his writing on each outing became his calling card but it didn’t capture every measure of the man.
Outside of Hip-Hop, KA was a husband, homeowner, and a New York City firefighter. While he didn’t speak at great lengths about his job in his music, he would share some details of that part of his life in profiles and interviews. Another striking aspect of Ryan is that he didn’t define himself by measuring his success in music. He treated it as a natural extension of himself and perhaps a way to process the things he saw growing up and doing his part to add to the legacy of the culture by willing himself to greatness.
Throughout nine solo projects that he largely produced and two collaborative projects, he also oversaw shooting videos, managing merchandise, and conducting meet-and-greet events with his adoring fans, KA remained humble and grateful.
A quick scan of his social media accounts showcased his everpresent humility, and he engaged his fans when he found the time to do so. Every story that will surely emerge in the coming days was how gracious he was and made himself tangible despite his legendary status in Hip-Hop.
If you ever cared about the quality of songwriting in Hip-Hop and want to discover a shining example of the heights it can reach in the genre, we suggest giving KA a bit of your ear.
As Hip-Hop fans the world over mourn one of the mighty titans of the culture, the jewels KA left us will live on forever.
May he rest powerfully in peace.
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Photo: @brownsvilleka/Instagram