When it comes to life experiences, Faith's racked up more in her young life than people who are more than twice her age. A lot has happened since she was a little girl in Newark, New Jersey. By the tender age of four, Faith figures out she could blow from the tears her gospel renditions evoked from her church's congregation. Even as a high school honor student who went on to earn a full academic scholarship to Fordham University, Faith Evans knew she was born to sing. She left Fordham after a year and ended up doing background vocals and writing songs for the likes of Mary J. Blige, Pebbles and Christopher Williams. Later, she met a man named Puff Daddy who could say only that her voice reminded him of rain-the fury of a storm, the baptism of showers and the serenity of mist all wrapped up in one.
As the First Lady of Bad Boy, she released her first album Faith. Somewhere in the midst of all of this she kicked it on the phone with a rapper named The Notorious B.I.G., fell in love and got married two weeks later. However, tragedy struck soon after-giving way to her unwanted rise as hip-hop's most memorable widow.
The multi-Platinum single, "I'll Be Missing You" (a moving tribute to her late husband The Notorious B.I.G.) was Faith's singular public comment on her husband's brutal murder, simultaneously conveying the sorrow of death and the hopeful promise of rebirth. Faith's voice lifted her man above the din of the tabloid speculations and hand-delivered him into the arms of his maker with love. It also created a world-wide anthem for mourners grieving the loss of their loved ones.
Although B.I.G.'s death changed Faith's life forever, she wants her fans to know that she is doing her best to move on. "It had an incredible impact on my life, I had to raise our son without his father's input. I just had our baby three months before. And for at least 6 months after that I was just blank. Just like any other human being, I went through an extremely painful stage. I hurt. I cried. I thought it was going to be a very long haul with a heavy block on my shoulders."
"But, thank God, I was able to free my self from all of the bad aspects and look at it as another life experience. I mean, I'll never forget about B.I.G. We had good times. We had bad times. He'll always be a fond memory. But I can't change the fact that he'll never be here so I'm just trying to move on. Take care of my children. Be a wonderful mother, a wonderful artist, further my career and expand it into other things."
"I want my fans to know that right now, in my life, I'm very happy. I appreciate all the love they gave when B.I.G. died and after; but now the best way the best way for them to support me is to just be happy with me. Because if they've ever been happy then they know it's a wonderful feeling. I just want them to know that I'm trying to seize the moment, hold on to the feeling and keep it that way."
"Keep the Faith" is a Faith Evans survival song. Her gift to her. Her gift to you.
