Faith Evans | |
|---|---|
 Evans in 1998 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Faith Renée Evans (1973-06-10)June 10, 1973 (age 52) Lakeland, Florida, U.S. |
| Origin | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Education | Fordham University (no degree) |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Works | Faith Evans discography |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | |
Spouses | |
| Children | 4, includingC. J. Wallace |
| Website | faithevansmusic |
Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Born inLakeland, Florida, and raised inNew Jersey, she relocated toLos Angeles in 1991 in pursuit of a recording career. Evans initially performed as a backing vocalist forR&B singersAl B. Sure! andChristopher Williams, and by the age of 20, signed withSean Combs'Bad Boy Records as the label's first female artist in 1994. Following her uncredited appearance on labelmatethe Notorious B.I.G.'s single "One More Chance", she released her debut studio album,Faith (1995), to critical acclaim and moderate commercial reception. Evans then guest performed alongside112 on Combs' 1997 single "I'll Be Missing You," which wonBest Rap Performance at the40th Annual Grammy Awards and became the first hip hop song to debut atop theBillboard Hot 100. Her second and third albums,Keep the Faith (1998) andFaithfully (2001), peaked at numbers six and 14 on theBillboard 200, respectively, and saw further critical praise.
Evans parted ways with Bad Boy in favor ofCapitol Records in 2003.[4] Her fourth album,The First Lady (2005) peaked at number two on theBillboard 200 and topped the USTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, while her fifth album,A Faithful Christmas (2005)—aholiday album—failed to chart and served as her final release on amajor label. After a hiatus, she released her sixth album,Something About Faith (2010) independently, followed by her seventh album,Incomparable (2014). With a career spanning three decades, Evans has sold over 20 million records worldwide.[5]
Outside of recording, Evans is known as the widow of rapper Christopher "the Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, whom she married on August 4, 1994, after meeting the rapper at a Bad Boy photoshoot.[6] The turbulent marriage resulted in Evans's involvement in theEast Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry—which dominated much ofhip hop music's mainstream coverage at the time—and concluded withWallace's unsolved drive-by murder on March 9, 1997.[7][4] Also an actress and author, Evans made her screen debut on the 2000 musical dramaTurn It Up byRobert Adetuyi. Her 2008 autobiography,Keep the Faith: A Memoir, was released byGrand Central Publishing and won a 2009 African American Literary Award for the Best Biography/Memoir category.
Evans was born on June 10, 1973, inLakeland, Florida, to anAfrican American mother, Helene Evans, a professional singer.[4] Her father, Richard Swain, was a musician of English and possible Italian descent who left before Evans was born. Evans has said "I've heard people mumble something about him being Italian, but I don't know for sure".[8] A half-year later, 19-year-old Helene returned toNewark, New Jersey, and left Faith with her cousin Johnnie Mae and husband Orvelt Kennedy, thefoster parents of more than 100 children they raised during the time that Faith lived with them. Faith had known Johnnie Mae and Orvelt Kennedy as her grandparents.[4][7] It was not until a couple of years later that Helene's career floundered and she tried to take Evans back home. Faith, however, was afraid to leave what she had "been used to," and instead, Helene relocated next door.[4]
Raised in a Christian home, Evans began singing at church at age two. At age four, she caught the attention of the congregation of the Emmanuel Baptist Church in Newark when she sangThe 5th Dimension's song "Let the Sunshine In".[9] While attendingUniversity High School in Newark, she sang with severaljazz bands and, encouraged by Helene, entered outside pageants, festivals and contests, where her voice would be noticed and praised. After graduating from high school in 1991, Evans attendedFordham University in New York City to study marketing but left a year later to have daughter Chyna with music producer Kiyamma Griffin.[10] In 1993, she relocated to Los Angeles, where she worked as abackup vocalist for singerAl B. Sure!, when she was noticed by rapperSean Combs. Impressed with her, Combs contracted her in 1994 as the first female artist to hisBad Boy Entertainment record label.[10]
Newly contracted toBad Boy Records, Evans was asked by executive producer Combs to contribute backing vocals and co-write tracks forMary J. Blige'sMy Life (1994) andUsher'sself-titled debut album (1994) prior to starting work on her debut studio albumFaith.[11] Released in North America on August 29, 1995, the album was a main collaboration with Bad Boy's main producers,The Hitmen, includingChucky Thompson and Combs, but it also resulted in recordings withPoke & Tone and Herb Middleton.Faith became a success based on the singles "You Used to Love Me" and "Soon as I Get Home". The album was eventually certifiedplatinum with 1.5 million copies sold, according toRIAA.[12]
A year before, on August 4, 1994, Evans married rapper and labelmateChristopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, after having met him at a Bad Boy photoshoot.[6] The couple had one child together,Christopher George Latore Wallace Jr.After allegations of an affair withTupac Shakur, Evans became involved in theEast Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry which dominatedrap music at the time. Wallace was murdered in ayet-to-be-solved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, California, in March 1997.[7] During early 1997, after her separation from Wallace, but before his death, Evans's friendMissy Elliott introduced her to record company executive Todd Russaw. Faith began dating Russaw during her and Wallace's separation and after Wallace died, Evans became pregnant by Russaw. The couple had their first son Joshua on June 10, 1998 (her 25th birthday).[6] During the summer of 1998, Evans and Russaw were married, and on March 22, 2007, they had their second son Ryder Evan Russaw.[6]
After Biggie's murder on March 9, 1997, Combs helped Evans produce her tribute song named "I'll Be Missing You",based on themelody ofThe Police's 1983 single "Every Breath You Take". The song, which featured Combs, Evans, and the all-male group112, became a worldwide number-one success and debuted at number one on the USBillboard Hot 100 chart during 1997, scoring that for eleven weeks. It won Combs, Evans and 112 the 1998Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.[4] The next year, she received another two Grammy nominations for "Heartbreak Hotel", a collaboration with singersWhitney Houston andKelly Price, that scored number two on theBillboard Hot 100 chart.[13]
Two years in the making, Evans's second studio album,Keep the Faith, was released by Bad Boy Records on October 27, 1998. Almost entirely written and produced by her, Evans considered the album difficult to complete as she had initially felt discouraged about the progress.[6] Upon its release, however, the album earned generally positive reviews by music critics, withAllmusic noting it "without a doubt a highlight of 1990s soul-pop music".[14] Also enjoying commercial success, it eventually went platinum and produced the top ten singles "Love Like This" and "All Night Long" (released on March 30, 1999) prompting Evans to start an 18-city theater tour withDru Hill andTotal the following year.[6]
Evans's third album on the Bad Boy label, namedFaithfully (2001), involved her working with a wider range of producers, includingThe Neptunes,Mario Winans,Buckwild,Vada Nobles,Cory Rooney, and others.[15] Her first project with husband Todd Russaw as executive producer and creative partner, the album scored number 14 on theBillboard 200 album chart and number two on theTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, eventually being certified platinum, but yielded moderately successful singles, with theJennifer Lopez-written "I Love You" becoming the only top twenty entry.[16] Released amid Bad Boy Records' transition from distributorArista Records toUniversal, Evans feltFaithfully received minimum assistance by the company, and during 2004, she finally decided to end her business with Bad Boy as she was convinced Combs couldn't improve her career any more due to his other commitments.[17]In January 2004, Evans and Russaw were arrested and charged with possession ofmarijuana andcocaine and an improper tag violation during a traffic stop inHapeville, a suburb ofAtlanta, Georgia.
After leaving Bad Boy Entertainment, Evans contracted withCapitol Records, becoming the firstcontemporary R&B artist to do so, and started work on her fourth studio albumThe First Lady, named after her nickname on her former label.[17] As opposed to having an in-house team of producers who supplied most of the previous material, she and Russaw were able to gain more creative control of the album and consulted producers such asBryan-Michael Cox,Jermaine Dupri,Mike Caren,Pharrell Williams, andChucky Thompson to contribute to it.[18] Upon its release in April 2005,The First Lady scored at number two on theBillboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming Evans's best-charting album to date. It was eventually certified gold by theRIAA.[19]
At the end of the year, Evans releasedA Faithful Christmas, aholiday album of traditionalChristmas songs and original tracks. The effort became her last release on Capitol Records, as the company was bought in 2007.[20]
Following a five-year hiatus, Evans created her own record label imprint in 2010.[21] She named the imprint Prolific Music Group and hired top talent to build the record label from scratch.[22] Evans began recording songs withKeyshia Cole,Redman,Snoop Dogg andRaekwon, among others for the label's freshman album. Evans signed a deal withindependent record labelE1 Entertainment later that year. Her fifth studio album,Something About Faith, was released on October 5, 2010, in the United States,[23] where it debuted and peaked at number fifteen on theBillboard 200 and number one on the Independent Albums chart.[24]Something About Faith has spawned the leading single "Gone Already", which spent over thirty-three weeks on the USBillboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it peaked at number twenty-two.[25]
In August 2010, Evans was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor drunken driving, after being stopped at a checkpoint inMarina del Rey, California. In 2011, Evans filed for divorce against Russaw.[26][27] The couple agreed to spend 13 weeks in a drug-treatment program in exchange for halting any further prosecution of their drug-possession case.[28] In May 2011, Evans and Russaw announced they were getting a divorce, and stated they would like to keep it quiet for their children's sakes.[29]
In 2012, Evans co-executive produced and became a cast member on theTV One reality showR&B Divas: Atlanta alongside fellow R&B singersNicci Gilbert,Syleena Johnson,Keke Wyatt andMonifah.[30] The show offered an inside look at how the singers balance their music careers and personal lives as they work towards producing an Evans-led compilation album,R&B Divas (2012), in memory ofWhitney Houston. Broadcast to rating records for the network,[31] the series produced a spin-off titledR&B Divas: Los Angeles and was renewed for two further seasons. Evans, who left the show following its second season, earned aGrammy nomination for Best R&B Album at the55th awards ceremony.[32]
In August 2013, Evans confirmed she had begun work on her seventh studio albumIncomparable,[33] with contribution fromChucky Thompson,Mike City,Keke Wyatt,B.Slade andKaren Clark Sheard ofThe Clark Sisters.[33] "I Deserve It", a record featuring recurring collaboratorMissy Elliott and her protégéeSharaya J, was released on August 25, 2014, as the album's lead single and peaked at number 19 onBillboard'sAdult R&B Songs chart.[34]Incomparable was released on November 24, 2014, by Prolific Music Group andBMG Rights Management.[35] It debuted at number 27 on the USTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 17 on the USIndependent Albums chart.[36]
In 2016, Evans announced that she was finishing a posthumous Notorious B.I.G. album titledThe King & I, featuring duets with her late husband. The album was released on May 19, 2017.[37]
On July 17, 2018, she married producer andLove & Hip Hop: Atlanta starStevie J.[38] The couple released the song "A Minute" on July 27, 2018.[39] Between 2015 and 2019 Evans appeared in several episodes ofLove & Hip Hop: Atlanta, andLeave It to Stevie alongside then-friend Stevie J.[40]
In May 2020, Evans was arrested for felony domestic violence against Stevie J. She was released on bond and the charges were later dropped.[41][42] In 2021, Stevie J filed for divorce.[43][44] The divorce was finalized in 2023.[45]
In 2021, Evans competed inseason six ofThe Masked Singer as "Skunk". She was unmasked during the Group A Finals where she made references to the loss of The Notorious B.I.G. and her son being autistic.
Having previously appeared instage plays as a teenager, Evans began acting with a supporting role in directorRobert Adetuyi's 2000 music dramaTurn It Up, featuringPras Michel fromThe Fugees,Jason Statham andJa Rule. Released to generally negative reviews from critics,[46] who noted it "patently absurd in both the details and larger aspects",[47] theindie film had a short play and became a financial disappointment, gaining US$1.24 million during its U.S. run only.[48]
During 2003, Evans acted in theMTV-producedromantic comedyThe Fighting Temptations in which she appeared in a brief but major role portraying a single mother and night club singer.[49] Filmed inColumbus, Georgia, and headed byCuba Gooding Jr. (her character is his mother) andBeyoncé Knowles, the film garnered mixed reviews by critics,[50] but scored top three of the U.S. box office, resulting in a domestic gross of US$30.2 million.[51] In addition, Evans recorded a contemporarycover version ofDonna Summer's 1978 success "Heaven Knows" for the film which her character performs during one of the first in sequence in the film. The accompanying soundtrack scored the top twenty of the U.S.Billboard 200.[52]
In 2004, Evans earned a brief guest stint on theUPN situation comedyHalf & Half.[53] In 2009, Evans announced that she had been working on a synopsis for her own situation comedy that would be based largely on her life but with a more comedic aspect. It is unknown whether she has officially pitched the sitcom to any television networks, as of 2024.[54]
Evans has had cameos on the reality showLove & Hip Hop: Atlanta.
In November 2010, several sources stated that Faith would portrayMotown starFlorence Ballard ofthe Supremes in an upcoming biopic,Blondie: The Florence Ballard Story.[55] With the blessing of Ballard's three daughters, Faith later appeared onThe Wendy Williams Show to promote this role.[56] In July 2014,Rolling Stone reported that the movie, thought to be titled "Blondie", was in fact a con artist's scam.[57]
Evans released her autobiographic book calledKeep the Faith: A Memoir on August 29, 2008. Written with Aliya S. King, it detailed the singer's life, but also discussed Evans's controversial relationship with her late husband, the Notorious B.I.G.:
"I want people to understand that although he was a large part of my life, my story doesn't actually begin or end with Big's death. My journey has been complicated on many levels. And since I am always linked to Big, there are a lot of misconceptions about who I really am. It's not easy putting your life out there for the masses. But I've decided I'll tell my own story. For Big. For my children. And for myself."[58]
In its initial release,Keep the Faith: A Memoir landed in the Top 20 on New York Times Best Seller's List two weeks in a row. The book received the 2009 African American Literary Award for Best Biography/Memoir.[59]
In 2014, Evans showed support for Little Kids Rock by donating items for auction to raise money in support of music education in public schools.[60]
Evans said that some of her biggest musical influences and favourite singers are gospel singerKaren Clark-Sheard (whom she has been often likened to),Shirley Murdock,[61]Chaka Khan,Anita Baker andAretha Franklin.[62]
Evans is noted for her "urban-edged honeyedsoprano."[63][64] Her vocal range extends from the low note of C#3 to high soprano C#6 .[65]The Washington Post writer Craig Seymour called her "angelic yet hearty soprano" as showcasing emotion that is defined by Evans' personal experiences of tragedy, love, pain and heartbreak.
In 2025, Faith Evans was sued by the estate ofVoletta Wallace over the sale of the Notorious B.I.G. catalog toPrimary Wave Music.[66] Biggie's former managerWayne Barrow filed the lawsuit on behalf of the estate.[67]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "I'll Be Missing You"(withPuff Daddy featuring112) | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group[68][69][70] | Won |
| 1999 | "Love Like This" | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance[68][71] | Nominated |
| 2000 | "Heartbreak Hotel"(withWhitney Houston &Kelly Price) | Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal[68][72] | Nominated |
| 2002 | "Can't Believe"(withCarl Thomas) | Nominated | |
| 2003 | Faithfully | Best Contemporary R&B Album[68] | Nominated |
| 2011 | "Gone Already" | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance[68][73] | Nominated |
| 2014 | R&B Divas | Best R&B Album[68][73][74] | Nominated |
| 2016 | "He Is" | Best Traditional R&B Performance[68][75] | Nominated |
| Studio albums | |
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| Compilation albums | |
| Concert tours | |
| Filmography | |
| Related articles | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
