Notorious B.I.G.'s mom accuses Kendall and Kylie of cultural appropriation after T-shirt scandal

Voletta Wallace has responded to the t-shirts.
By
Samantha Scelzo
 on 

A lot of people are extremely unhappy and offended by Kendall and Kylie Jenner's new line of t-shirts, featuring their faces and initials plastered over the album covers of iconic, largely dead, musicians. Those among the offended is Notorious B.I.G.'s mother, Volleta Wallace.

The famous sisters featured her son's face on one of their, now pulled, shirts.

Wallace issued a statement on her Instagram expressing her displeasure with the T-shirt, calling the fashion line "exploitation." They failed to reach out to her for permission to use her son's face on their T-shirts, and didn't consult with his estate in any way.

View this post on Instagram

"I am not sure who told @kyliejenner and @kendalljenner that they had the right to do this," Wallace wrote. "The disrespect of these girls to not even reach out to me or anyone connected to the estate baffles me."

She continues, "I have no idea why they feel they can exploit the deaths of 2 Pac and my son Christopher to sell a T-shirt. This is disrespectful, disgusting, and exploitation at its worst!!!"

Mashable Top Stories
Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news.
Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter
By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!

Sharon Osborne, whose husband Ozzy Osborne is also featured on one of the shirts, tweeted her lack of appreciation by saying that the girls, "haven't earned the right," to put their faces on musical icons.

Although Kendall and Kylie issued an apology on each of their social media accounts and have pulled the shirts from their Kendall + Kylie fashion line, Wallace released a statement to People that Notorious B.I.G.'s estate is not giving up on the matter.

The statement says, “While we appreciate that the Jenners have made an apology and pulled the unlawful and unauthorized items, this matter has yet to be resolved.”

This isn't the first time the sisters have been accused of cultural appropriation, and unfortunately, it doesn't look like it will be the last. For Wallace's and the families' of other musicians featured on the shirts sake, we hope the matter finds closure.

[H/T: The Washington Post]

Mashable Image
Samantha Scelzo

Samantha was a Watercooler Web Culture & Lifestyle intern at Mashable. Follow her on Twitter @samiscelz.


Recommended For You

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 26, 2025
Connections game on a smartphone

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 27, 2025
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 26, 2025
Wordle game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 27, 2025
Wordle game on a smartphone

NYT Strands hints, answers for March 27
A game being played on a smartphone.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!