Faith Renée Evans, born on June 10, 1973, in Lakeland, Florida, is an acclaimed American R&B singer, songwriter, and actress. Raised in Newark, New Jersey, she moved to Los Angeles in 1991 to pursue a career in music. Initially, Evans worked as a backing vocalist for artists like Al B. Sure! and Christopher Williams. In 1994, she became the first female artist to sign with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records. Her debut album, "Faith" (1995), received critical acclaim and moderate commercial success. Evans gained further recognition with her performance on Puff Daddy’s 1997 Grammy-winning single "I'll Be Missing You," a tribute to her late husband, the Notorious B.I.G.

Evans released several successful albums, including "Keep the Faith" (1998) and "Faithfully" (2001), both of which charted on the Billboard 200. After leaving Bad Boy Records, she joined Capitol Records and released "The First Lady" (2005), which topped the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Her career includes over 18 million albums sold worldwide and numerous collaborations and guest appearances.

Beyond music, Evans is an accomplished author, with her memoir "Keep the Faith: A Memoir" winning the 2009 African American Literary Award for Best Biography/Memoir. She also ventured into television, co-creating and starring in the reality series "R&B Divas." Evans's personal life, particularly her marriage to the Notorious B.I.G., has been marked by both public interest and personal challenges. Despite these, she remains a significant figure in the R&B and hip-hop music scenes.