Faith Evans

Faith Renée Evans, born on June 10, 1973, is a multifaceted American artist known for her work as a singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, and author. Originally from Florida, she grew up in New Jersey before moving to Los Angeles in 1993 to pursue a career in the music industry. After gaining experience as a background vocalist for artists like Al B. Sure and Christopher Williams, Evans made history in 1994 by becoming the first female artist signed to Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment. Between 1995 and 2001, she released three studio albums that achieved platinum status.

In 2003, she parted ways with Bad Boy Entertainment and signed with Capitol Records. In addition to her music career, Evans is widely recognized as the widow of the late rapper Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, whom she wed on August 4, 1994, shortly after they met at a Bad Boy photoshoot. Their stormy marriage coincided with the infamous East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry and tragically ended with Wallace’s murder in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles in March 1997. One of her most notable contributions to music is the 1997 tribute single "I'll Be Missing You," featuring Puff Daddy and 112, which remains her best-selling track and earned her a Grammy Award in 1998.

Evans has also ventured into acting, making her film debut in the 2000 musical drama "Turn It Up," and authored her memoir, "Keep the Faith," published in 2008, which received the African American Literary Award for Best Biography/Memoir in 2009.