Key Takeaways

• Redman and Faith Evans dated in high school before either became known in Hip Hop or R&B.
• He joked about being “jealous” when she began dating Biggie but expressed genuine happiness for her.
• Their early connection helped introduce Evans to the music industry before her Bad Boy Records debut.

Redman has a sense of humor when he looks back at his and Faith Evans’ short-lived relationship. The New Jersey natives dated before the world knew their names for representing Hip Hop and R&B, respectively. The former aspiring artists met thanks to the rapper’s sister, who was best friends with Evans.

In an Action Entertainment interview uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday (Sept. 10), the How High actor looked back on how he reacted to his high school sweetheart finding love in The Notorious B.I.G. “When she started her relationship with Biggie, I was jealous!” he said with a chuckle. In all seriousness, he was actually unbothered by the connection that made headlines when the pair married in 1994.

“Me and Faith [were] dating at a very young age, before we got on, way before, you know. And she’s always been a sweetheart to me. She’s always been my heart. Always been a sweetheart,” said Redman. “When she started dating Biggie and all that stuff, I was like, yeah, you know, ‘cause I was doing my thing. I was already on tour wilding out with chicks, you know. Me and her had split and parted ways, of course, but she would still come to see me.”

Furthermore, he mentioned, “Faith had always been a smart person, you know. She’s Brick City. She’s Jersey all day. So of course she’s going to move with good discernment… She dated Biggie, and I was like happy for him, you know… And then they had a kid… I was just amazed at her turnout. Her outcome.”

Redman tried to jumpstart Faith’s career before Bad Boy Records

Before Evans signed with Bad Boy Records, Redman helped to set up a meeting between her and EMPD. Their music styles didn’t align at the time. “I wanted to get her on, I wanted to put her on, but I was just getting on myself, so I really couldn’t do too much,” he said. His debut album, Whut? Thee Album, came out in 1992, and Evans’ debut project, Faith, arrived in 1995. To this day, they remain supportive of each other. Biggie passed away in 1997. He was 24 years old. He and the soulful singer share one child, Christopher “C.J.” Wallace Jr.