Protecting family legacy: B.I.G's son challenges controversial changes to estate
This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.
- CJ Wallace, son of The Notorious B.I.G., filed a legal challenge over changes made to his grandmother Voletta Wallace's estate before she passed
- The disputed amendments reportedly removed CJ and a longtime family friend from key roles, handing sole control to a former manager of Biggie
- CJ is now asking a Pennsylvania court to throw out the changes and strip Wayne Barrow of his position overseeing the estate
Christopher Wallace Jr., the son of legendary rapper The Notorious B.I.G., has taken his late grandmother's estate to court, raising serious questions about changes made to her will in the final days of her life.
Voletta Wallace, who devoted much of her later years to safeguarding her son Biggie's legacy, died on 21 February 2025 at the age of 72 while receiving hospice care.
Her cause of death was recorded as natural causes, and a funeral attended by prominent figures from the entertainment world was held in Manhattan in March 2025.
What CJ Wallace is claiming
Court documents show that CJ has challenged a codicil to Voletta's will that was signed on 6 February 2025, just 15 days before her death. He argues that the estate plan looked very different before that point.
Under a 2020 will, CJ and his sister T'yanna Wallace had been granted rights to various personal items belonging to their grandmother, including jewellery, furs, music awards and property in Jamaica.
CJ also held a role connected to the management of the estate alongside longtime family friend Carol Sampson.
The late amendments, however, reportedly stripped both CJ and Sampson of those positions. In their place, Wayne Barrow, who previously managed The Notorious B.I.G. during his career, was installed as the sole trustee and executor of the estate.
CJ is now asking a Pennsylvania court to invalidate those last-minute changes and remove Barrow from his current role.
He has also raised concerns about Voletta's physical condition at the time the documents were signed, and whether the circumstances surrounding her signature on the amended will can withstand legal scrutiny.
A legacy worth fighting for
The legal dispute centres on an estate tied closely to one of hip-hop's most enduring legacies. Biggie, born Christopher Wallace, was shot and killed in Los Angeles in March 1997 at just 24 years old.
He left behind two children, including CJ, who was still an infant at the time of his father's murder.
Voletta spent decades keeping her son's memory alive, remaining a visible and vocal presence in conversations about his life and music.
Her death in early 2025 left unresolved questions about who would carry that responsibility forward, questions that are now playing out in a Pennsylvania courtroom.
The allegations raised by CJ have not been proven in court and remain contested. A final ruling on whether the amended estate documents will stand is yet to be made.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.