Faith Evans has four children: daughter Chyna and sons Christopher Jordan “C.J.” Wallace, Joshua Russaw and Ryder Russaw. Their public lives include music, acting and entrepreneurship, while Evans has also spoken about her role as a parent and publicly supported families of children with disabilities and different needs.
Who are Faith Evans’ four children?
Evans became a mother in 1993. Her children are Chyna, whom she shares with Kiyamma Griffin; C.J., her son with the Notorious B.I.G.; and Joshua and Ryder, her sons with Todd Russaw. A 2024 family profile provides the following overview; the birth years shown for the sons are reported there.
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Faith Evans | $12.38 | Buy on Amazon |
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Keep The Faith | $9.47 | Buy on Amazon |
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Faithfully | $14.82 | Buy on Amazon |
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First Lady | $3.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Incomparable | $10.32 | Buy on Amazon |
| Child | Parentage | Birth year | Publicly reported work or context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chyna Tahjere Griffin | Faith Evans and Kiyamma Griffin | Not stated in the 2024 profile | Music; has collaborated and toured with Evans |
| Christopher Jordan “C.J.” Wallace | Faith Evans and the Notorious B.I.G. | 1996 | Acting, music and co-ownership of Frank White |
| Joshua Russaw, professionally known as Jahad | Faith Evans and Todd Russaw | 1998 | DJ, singer-songwriter and producer |
| Ryder Russaw | Faith Evans and Todd Russaw | 2007 | His family’s public advocacy includes Ryder’s Room, Inc. |
The profile gives birth years rather than a consistent, independently established set of exact dates. For C.J. and Joshua, its exact dates conflict with other biographical listings, so this overview uses years only.
What is known about each child?
Chyna Tahjere Griffin
The 2024 family profile identifies Chyna as Evans’s eldest child. It reports that she grew up around recording sessions, learned keyboard at age seven, studied music at New York University and released “Grown Lady” in 2012. The profile also says she has made music with Evans and toured alongside her. These details are attributed to that profile rather than presented as firsthand reporting.
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Christopher Jordan “C.J.” Wallace
The family profile says C.J. appeared in the biopic Notorious as a younger version of his father and has worked as an actor and musician. It also reports that he co-owns the lifestyle brand Frank White. According to the profile, proceeds from the brand support Think BIG, an initiative it describes as advocating equitable cannabis legalization, criminal justice reform and community reinvestment.
Joshua Russaw
Evans and Todd Russaw’s son Joshua works professionally as Jahad, according to the 2024 profile. It describes him as a DJ, singer-songwriter and producer. The profile also says Joshua and C.J. are members of the band Non-Fixtion with their friend Lotus Ley.
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Ryder Russaw
Evans’s official biography describes Ryder’s Room, Inc. as providing resources to children and families affected by disabilities and different needs. A 2024 family profile reports that Evans has publicly discussed Ryder being on the autism spectrum. In a 2021 interview with Shondaland, quoted by that profile, Evans said: “I want my son to have the same quality of life as any other child his age.” That public context does not establish private details about Ryder’s needs or experiences.
How has Faith Evans described parenting?
A 2024 family profile recounts Evans telling PEOPLE in 2021 that she had her daughter before her first record deal and chose not to be away from home as much as she had more children. The same report quotes Evans saying, “The fact that I know I am their No. 1 advocate and it’s absolutely necessary for me to be there.” These are Evans’s remarks about her own choices, not a general account of every aspect of family life.
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For Evans’s own perspective in a longer form, her official biography identifies her memoir, Keep the Faith: A Memoir, written with Aliya King. The biography notes hardback, paperback and ebook formats, but does not establish their current retail availability.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What historical context is available about C.J. and his father?
In a March 2012 interview with XXL, Evans discussed C.J.’s relationship with his late father, saying they were separated but that he would spend Fridays with C.J. The interview also describes Evans and Jan Jackson raising C.J. and T’yanna Wallace as a close brother-and-sister pair. This is historical context from that interview, not a claim about their present-day relationship.
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