Religion Evans places her 4 children — Chyna, C.J., Joshua and Ryder — first.
“I’ve by no means been a closely touring artist, I’ve at all times had youngsters,” she advised ipromiseyoumedia in 2021. “I had my daughter earlier than I bought my first file deal. As I had extra youngsters, I type of at all times selected to not be away from house a lot.”
Evans — whose work spans almost three a long time and contains hits similar to “I’ll Be Lacking You” and “Can’t Imagine” — turned a mother in 1993 with the delivery of her daughter, adopted by the births of her sons in 1996, 1998 and 2007, respectively.
“I needed to put different issues on maintain for the sake of my youngsters, particularly after I was out very actively performing and recording and doing exhibits,” she added. Evans defined that even when she weren’t a performer, she would have nonetheless made these “similar choices.”
Her children grew up across the recording studio and are “very artsy,” she mentioned in a 2012 interview. Now grown, the elder youngsters have established careers within the leisure trade. Though the singer did not push them in that path, she hasn’t missed the chance to help them via their musical journeys.
“The truth that I do know I’m their No. 1 advocate and it is completely needed for me to be there,” Evans advised ipromiseyoumedia.
Right here is all the things to find out about Religion Evans’ youngsters: Chyna, C.J., Joshua and Ryder.
Chyna Tahjere Griffin, 32
Evans and then-partner, gospel musician and producer Kiyamma Griffin, welcomed their daughter, Chyna Tahjere Griffin, on April 1, 1993.
As a toddler, Chyna hung out on the recording studio, together with when her mother labored on her debut album, Religion. All through Chyna’s childhood, she confirmed a robust curiosity in music, studying to play the keyboard at age 7 and creating tracks as a preteen.
“I might put them on a CD, and we’d be within the automotive, and I might similar to play her all of my beats, and I did so simply out of pleasure like, ‘Look, Mother,’ ” she shared whereas showing on Conversations With Chike Evans in 2024.
As for Evans’ suggestions, Chyna revealed she was by no means essential. “She’s at all times simply been like, ‘That’s dope,’ ” she recounted.
Evans’ eldest credit a part of her musical coaching to easily observing her mother and father whereas they perfected their craft.
“My mother taught me with out intentionally instructing me,” Chyna shared. “If you’re actually within the studio whereas she’s making her first three albums — you’re going to be taught one thing. It was inevitable.”
She attended New York College to check music formally and launched her debut single, “Grown Girl,” in 2012. Along with releasing new music, she has collaborated along with her mother, together with becoming a member of Evans on tour.
“It’s enjoyable, it’s a studying course of as a result of after I was touring along with her youthful, I wasn’t being attentive to what was occurring,” she mentioned. “So now, being part of the present, I really feel like I am in coaching. I’ve been capable of be taught quite a bit from this.”
Christopher Jordan “C.J.” Wallace, 27
Evans and her husband, the Infamous B.I.G., welcomed their son, Christopher Jordan “C.J.” Wallace, on Oct. 19, 1996.
The pair paid homage to Biggie’s actual identify, Christopher George Latore Wallace, with their firstborn’s moniker. When C.J. was solely 5 months outdated, tragedy struck as his father was killed in a drive-by taking pictures in Los Angeles at 24 years outdated.
“I’ve no reminiscence of my dad, however I have been advised so many tales about him and the way a lot we’re comparable,” C.J. advised ipromiseyoumedia in 2022. “Now that I am 25, it is actually beginning to sit with me that I used to be capable of cross the age that he died. It is a very particular feeling as a result of I am beginning to actually develop into my very own as a person.”
Six months after his father’s demise, a then-10-month-old C.J. posed alongside his mother on the purple carpet on the MTV Video Music Awards, the place she carried out “I’ll Be Lacking You.”
Following his mother and father’ footsteps, C.J. jumped into the leisure trade as a youngster, starring within the biopic Infamous, the place he performed a younger model of his late father.
“Man, that was terrifying,” he advised ipromiseyoumedia. “It was scary. I used to be in seventh grade at the moment, and it was my first time appearing and being on a giant set like that. Fortunately, I am mainly him reincarnated.”
“General, it was superb,” he added. “It is actually what began getting me into appearing, and I actually fell in love with being behind the digicam and directing. Now I am very focused on creating a brand new story — a narrative that is separate from Infamous B.I.G. Let’s inform the Christopher George Latore Wallace story.”
He went on to star reverse Will Ferrell in Every thing Should Go and landed a lead function within the 2016 movie Kicks.
Along with appearing, C.J. is a musician and co-owns the life-style model Frank White, which is known as after one among his dad’s aliases. C.J. began the corporate as a technique to keep it up his dad’s legacy, and proceeds from the corporate go towards his Suppose BIG initiative, which advocates for equitable hashish legalization, legal justice reform and financial reinvestment into communities.
Joshua Russaw, 27
Evans and her second husband, file producer Todd Russaw, welcomed their son Joshua Russaw on June 10, 1998.
As a toddler, Joshua attended varied Hollywood occasions along with his mother and siblings, together with posing on the purple carpet for the Coach Carter premiere in 2005.
Joshua’s musical curiosity began from a younger age, with Evans posting a throwback video of a younger Joshua within the backseat of a automotive displaying off his chops.
“Sing Joshua! He been doing this! @jahadrussaw keep in mind after I advised you to cross the hat round after you sing on the household cookouts?” she captioned the clip.
Like the remainder of his household, Joshua, who professionally goes by Jahad, has constructed a profession within the leisure trade. He’s a DJ, singer-songwriter and producer who has labored with varied artists, together with his brother, C.J.
The siblings and their pal, Lotus Ley, even shaped a band known as Non-Fixtion, the place Biggie served as “an enormous inspiration for us,” C.J. advised Rap-Up in 2017.
In his spare time, Joshua — who Evans refers to as her “twin” partly as a result of they share a birthday — posts about hanging out with associates and having fun with actions, similar to horseback driving and enjoying golf.
Ryder Russaw, 18
Evans and Russaw welcomed their son Ryder Russaw on March 22, 2007.
The songstress has been open about her son being on the autism spectrum, telling Shondaland in 2021, “I need my son to have the identical high quality of life as every other youngster his age.”
Evans and her ex-husband, Stevie J., created the inspiration Ryder’s Room Inc., which advocates for autism consciousness and supplies sources for households navigating comparable conditions.
“Stevie mentioned I actually wanted to do it, as a result of that is what we’re dwelling,” she advised Shondaland. “I wish to increase funds to have the ability to donate it to households who could also be in want.”
Evans and Ryder’s habits specialist, Maliaka Mitchell, additionally hosted a weekly symposium known as Good Deeds for Particular Wants on Evans’ YouTube channel. The episodes coated subjects like navigating colleges and answered viewers’ questions.
Evans shares a detailed bond with Ryder, as she often posts snaps of {the teenager} on her Instagram, together with movies of her youngest son training martial arts and volunteering. She additionally penned a touching tribute in honor of her son’s seventeenth birthday in 2024.
“Blissful seventeenth birthday to my child boy Ryder! I really like you a lot, my Bubba & I thank God for assigning me to look after you,” Evans wrote within the caption.