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Rapper The Notorious B.I.G., a.k.a. Biggie Smalls, is an undisputed icon in the world of hip-hip over two decades after his death. His wife, Faith Evans, remains a singer and music industry personality, now married to Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta star Stevie J.

Faith Evans performing
Faith Evans | Jerod Harris/Getty Images for AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Faith Evans and The Notorious B.I.G.’s relationship

The Notorious B.I.G. first met Faith Evans in 1994 on the set of a photoshoot for Bad Boy Records, P. Diddy’s fledgling record label. She gave the rapper a ride home after the shoot and he eventually called her. Just eight days later, he and Evans got married.

“I married her after knowing her eight days and I was happy. That was my baby,” he told Vibe magazine.

Throughout their marriage, however, Biggie was known to have had affairs with rappers Lil’ Kim and Charli Baltimore as well as other women. “At the same time, with us being so spontaneous, we did it backwards,” he concluded. “Maybe she won’t admit it, but I will. We should have got to know each other and then got married. The relationship kind of dissolved, but we’re still going to be friends.”

Faith Evans on the red carpet
Faith Evans | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Faith Evans and The Notorious B.I.G. had a son

Evans became pregnant early in their marriage. In 1993, before he met Evans, Biggie had his first child, a daughter named T’yanna, with his high school sweetheart, Jan Jackson. At the same time, Evans had a daughter named Chyna with music producer Kiyamma Griffin.

In 1999, Lil’ Kim revealed to The Source magazine that she became pregnant with Biggie’s child while they were seeing each other. She chose to have an abortion because she didn’t want to bring a child into the chaotic environment of their relationship, which at times became violent.

Biggie and Evans’ son, C. J. Wallace (named after his father, Christopher) was born in October 1996. Just six months after his birth, his dad would be shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles.

Today, Wallace is an actor and entrepreneur. He played a young version of his father in the 2009 biopic Notorious and had a recurring role on MTV’s Scream in 2019. That same year, he launched a cannabis company called Think BIG that promotes social justice initiatives and aims to change the public perception of cannabis by creating campaigns that inspire “curiosity, creativity, contemplation, and healing.”

Faith Evans on the red carpet
Faith Evans | Leon Bennett/Getty Images for BET
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Inside Lil’ Kim and Biggie Smalls’ Relationship

Biggie’s family after his death

In early 1997, after she and Biggie had separated, Evans began dating record company executive Todd Russaw, whom she met through her friend Missy Elliot. Biggie died in March of that year, and Evans — along with the people closest to him including Lil’ Kim — mourned the death of Big Poppa.

Evans and Russaw continued dating after his death, and Evans soon became pregnant with Russaw’s child. The couple had their first son, Joshua, in June 1998. They got married that same summer and eventually had a second son, Ryder, in 2007.