When people think of Faith Evans, there is a tendency to inadvertently switch focus to her late husband, rapper Notorious B.I.G. a.k.a. Biggie Smalls, but Evans has had an impressive recording career in her own right.

Evans, born in New Jersey, was signing in the church choir before she was even three years old. The talent she displayed in performances throughout high school would pave the way for a scholarship to New York City's Fordham University. Evans left school after one year to pursue an R&B career. Incorporating her training in jazz and classical music, Evans started as a backup vocalist for artists like Usher and Mary J. Blige. It was through her collaborative work with Blige that Evans would experience her big break, and it came in the form of Sean "Puffy" Combs.

Evans released her debut album, Faith, in 1995 on Combs' Bad Boy Records. Faith quickly went platinum, but the album's success took a backseat to something else happening in her life. Just nine days after being introduced to Comb's best friend, the Notorious B.I. G., the two were married. While the pair's relationship was tumultuous and rumors of infidelities by both parties ran rampant, Evans worked behind the scenes, writing and performing on other artists' records.

Biggie was shot and killed in 1997, inspiring Evans to collaborate with Combs' on the hit single "I'll Be Missing You" in memory of her late husband. She released her second album, the aptly-named Keep the Faith, the following year. The record showed she was prepared to forge on in the wake of her husband's death and spawned several R&B hits. Her third album, Faithfully, also received much acclaim. Evans has continued to release material, including a Christmas album in 2005. While she surely lost a part of herself when Biggie died, Evans did not let her musical dreams die with him.