Gangsta Boo, a pioneer in Southern hip-hop, has died at the age of 43
Seminal Southern rapper and former Three 6 Mafia member Gangsta Boo was found dead in her Memphis home on the afternoon of New Year’s Day. This shocking news was first reported by Fox 13 Memphis Later, it was confirmed in Instagram post by Three 6 Mafia’s DJ Paul. However, the cause of death has not yet been determined. TMZ reports that her passing “appears to be drug-related” and police are launching an official investigation. She was 43.
On New Year’s Eve, less than 24 hours before she died, Boo had posted a performance video on Instagram, writing: “Some of the things that I did in 2022! I had so much fun, and it was productive. 2023, be 23’n! #JORDAN #BOOPRINT #recap Happy New 2023 everyone!” In an interview with Billboard Boo shared that she was currently working on a new project in the interview, which ran last month. The BooPrintShe was hoping to release it in the early 2023.
Gangsta Boo was conceived Lola Chantrelle Mitchell, Aug. 7, 1979 in Memphis, Tenn. She started rapping at the age of 14. In 1994, when she was only 15 years old, she joined the influential hardcore/horrorcore collective Three 6 Mafia, becoming one of the group’s only female members (along with K-9) and staying with them for eight years, during which she appeared on their first five studio albums. In 2013, it was announced that Boo and fellow Three 6 Mafia members DJ Paul, Crunchy Black, Koopsta Knicca, and Lord Infamous had formed a new spin-off group, Da Mafia 6ix; Boo was prominently featured on Da Mafia 6ix’s debut mixtape, 6ix CommandmentsIt reached No. 34 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart upon its official retail release in 2014.
Boo had a successful solo career before she quit Three 6 Mafia. She released her debut album in 1998. Asking MindsIt reached No. 15 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 46 on the Billboard 200. Her sophomore album, 2001’s Both Worlds *69The hit song,, reached No. 8 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart and No. 29 on Billboard 200. She was then followed two years later by an independent release. Enquiring Minds II – The Soap Opera.
Boo also released 10 mixtapes from 2006 to 2018 and was a highly sought-after collaborator. He worked with Eminem and OutKast as well as T.I., the Game and Lil Jon.
In her December 2022 Billboard interview, Boo was quite candid when discussing her influence on the male-dominated genre of hip-hop, for which she didn’t always receive proper credit. “Gangsta Boo walked so a lot of people could run,” she asserted. “I would honestly say that I have to admit, respectfully and humbly, that I am the blueprint. My cadence is heard in many male and female rappers. … my sound is a Memphis sound. It’s a Gangsta Boo sound, it’s a Three 6 Mafia sound. So, I am the blueprint and I wear that badge proudly as f***. … I used to didn’t want to even give myself flowers because I’ve been so low-key and humble, but … it’s time to claim what’s mine.”
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