On March 9th fans celebrated the life and legacy of the great Notorious B.I.G., and now it appears his name is in the center of a lawsuit. According to multiple reports surrounding the case, Faith Evans and his mother Voletta Wallace are suing a company called Yes. Snowboards because they used the late rapper’s image without permission. Evans and Wallace founded Notorious B.I.G., LLC following Biggie’s death in 1997, this was done to help manage the rapper’s name, image, and likeness.
Over the years, multiple companies have used Biggie’s image to make profit, but ultimately have had to obtain permission from Notorious B.I.G., LLC. However, the lawsuit on Yes. is due to them creating a snowboard with the rapper’s picture without consulting Evans and Wallace first.
“At a time where fame and popularity for musicians comes and goes on an accelerated time scale, it is hard to quantify the power – both emotional and financial – of a musician whose brand and persona are still appreciated, recognized, and replicated more than two decades after his death.” the lawsuit states.
According to The Blast, Evans and Wallace have issued a warning against the company to obtain all profits made off the products. The image of the snowboard has since been taken down, however, it’s still available for purchase on the website.