R&B singer Faith Evans has suffered a major legal setback in a dispute over the estate of late rapper The Notorious B.I.G. A Delaware judge has ruled that his late mother Voletta Wallace’s trust is entitled to $12,518,336 in unpaid distributions, plus interest.

The decision, issued on October 27, 2026, by Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery, concerns profits generated through Notorious B.I.G. LLC, the company responsible for managing the rapper’s music catalog and intellectual property rights. Justia Law+2

The ruling adds another chapter to the legal battle involving Evans, Biggie’s former manager Wayne Barrow and the rapper’s family. The dispute centers on who has the legal right to receive money generated by the late artist’s business interests.

Why Faith Evans Must Pay $12.5 Million to Voletta Wallace’s Trust

The court determined that Voletta Wallace’s trust was entitled to distributions connected to her 25% economic interest in Notorious B.I.G. LLC.

According to the court documents, the company made several distributions after Wallace’s death in February 2025. These included three payments of $4 million each, followed by another distribution of $469,724.

Together, those payments amounted to $12,469,724. An additional $48,612 brought the total amount owed to the trust to $12,518,336. Justia Law+1

Evans and the company had argued that the trust should receive only $48,612 while a separate legal challenge involving Barrow’s appointment continued in Pennsylvania.

Judge McCormick rejected that position, ruling that the trust was entitled to distributions dating back to Voletta Wallace’s death, even though it formally became a member of the company on December 12, 2025.

Wayne Barrow Wins Another Legal Battle Over Biggie’s Estate

Wayne Barrow, a former manager of The Notorious B.I.G., is representing the Voletta Wallace Revocable Trust as its trustee and executor of her estate.

Barrow filed the Delaware lawsuit in July 2025 after alleging that Evans had blocked payments owed to the trust. The dispute followed Voletta Wallace’s death at age 78 in February 2025.

The August 2026 ruling had already recognized Barrow’s authority to represent the trust in the company dispute. The October decision clarified the amount owed and established that the trust was entitled to the earlier distributions, along with prejudgment interest. Rolling Stone Australia+1

The judge also ordered interest at the applicable statutory rate, compounded quarterly. With interest included, the amount has been estimated at nearly $14 million in subsequent media reports. Justia Law+2

Christopher Wallace’s Lawsuit Against Wayne Barrow Remains Pending

The financial dispute is connected to a separate family disagreement involving Christopher Jordan Wallace, known as CJ, the son of Faith Evans and The Notorious B.I.G.

Before her death, Voletta Wallace amended her estate documents and removed her grandson from his position as a co-trustee. She subsequently named Barrow as the sole trustee and executor.

CJ filed a separate lawsuit in Pennsylvania in February 2026, challenging Barrow’s appointment. His legal challenge alleges that Barrow improperly influenced his grandmother’s estate decisions shortly before her death.

Barrow has disputed those allegations. The Pennsylvania proceedings remain separate from the Delaware case, and the latest financial ruling does not resolve the allegations surrounding his appointment. Rolling Stone Australia+2

Notorious B.I.G.’s Music Catalog Continues to Generate Millions

The legal battle involves the business interests of Christopher Wallace, widely known as The Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie Smalls, who was killed in Los Angeles in March 1997 at age 24.

Evans and Voletta Wallace established Notorious B.I.G. LLC in 2007 to manage the rapper’s intellectual property, including his music catalog and likeness rights.

In March 2025, the business entered into a major partnership with music publishing company Primary Wave. The deal reportedly valued Biggie’s estate at approximately $200 million, according to The Wall Street Journal. Rolling Stone Australia+1

Voletta Wallace’s economic interest in the company became a central issue after her death. The latest court decision establishes the trust’s entitlement to the outstanding distributions, while the separate Pennsylvania case continues.