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About Faith Evans
Hometown
Lakeland, FL, United States
Born
June 10, 1973
Genre
R&B/Soul
Faith Evans became the glamorous first lady of pop-infused R&B before she was 23 years old, thanks to a meteoric rise in the charts—and her brief, troubled marriage to The Notorious B.I.G. Born in Lakeland, FL, in 1973 and raised in New Jersey, Evans was a preternaturally talented singer/songwriter blessed with a buttery soprano and natural elegance. As a teen, she sang in a gospel group and was a straight-A student who won a scholarship to Fordham University. But music’s pull was too strong: She dropped out within a year and moved to Los Angeles, where she started writing songs and singing backup for Mary J. Blige, Usher, and Al B. Sure!, co-writing six songs on Usher’s stellar 1994 debut. That year, Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs signed her to Bad Boy Records—as its first female signee—and she co-wrote many of the label’s early hits. Soon after, Evans met Christopher Wallace; they were married just eight days later. In 1995 she stepped into the limelight with her debut album, Faith, which effortlessly straddled pop, hip-hop, and R&B with hit singles including the sinuous “You Used to Love Me.” After Biggie’s murder in 1997, she co-penned the chart-topping anthem to him “I’ll Be Missing You.” Evans soared again the next year with Keep the Faith and the rapturous “Love Like This,” which curls around a funky, repeating sample from Chic’s “Chic Cheer.” She has maintained a steady presence on the charts since, releasing gorgeous, timeless R&B. In 2017, she took a gamble by duetting with recordings of her late husband’s rhymes on the album The King & I, which included a guest spot by onetime rival (and former Biggie lover) Lil’ Kim—a classy move from an enduring diva.
Musical InfluencesFaith Evans's musical influences include Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Chaka Khan and more.
Influenced by Faith EvansFaith Evans has influenced the music of Mikhala Jene, Beyoncé, Nivea and more.
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