Gangsta Boo, the pioneering Memphis rapper and former member of Three 6 Mafia, has died at the age of 43, HipHopDX has confirmed.
According to Fox 13 Memphis, the rapper (real name Lola Mitchell) was found dead around 4:00 p.m. local time on Sunday afternoon (January 1) in her hometown of Memphis. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.
As news of the Queen of Memphis’ death began spreading via social media, DJ Paul posted a photo of his former Three 6 Mafia group mate on social media, which many took as confirmation of her death.
HipHopDX has been told that a statement from Gangsta Boo’s family is on the way.
Gangsta Boo joined Three 6 Mafia in 1994 at the tender age of 15 and features on the legendary Memphis group’s first five albums: Mystic Stylez (1995), Chapter. 1: The End (1996), Chapter 2: World Domination (1997), When The Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1 (2000), and Choices: The Album (2001).
Following the release of her debut solo album Enquiring Minds in 1998 via Hypnotize Minds/Relativity Records, she became a household name across the South and beyond, thanks to her hit single “Where Dem Dollas At!?” She released her second album, Both Worlds *69, in 2001.
Boo also appeared on a series of other Three 6 Mafia-related projects, such as Tear Da Club Up Thugs’ 1999 album CrazyNDaLazDayz, Prophet Posse’s debut 1998 album Body Parts, Hypnotize Camp Posse’s 2000 album Three 6 Mafia Presents: Hypnotize Camp Posse, and Da Mafia 6ix’s 2013 mixtape 6ix Commandments. She also features on the Triple Six Mafia compilation albums Underground Vol.2: Club Memphis and Underground Vol.3: Kings of Memphis.
After leaving Three 6 Mafia over alleged financial disputes in 2002, Gangsta Boo dropped her third and final solo studio album, Enquiring Minds II: The Soap Opera, in 2004 via Yorktown Records. It features production from Drumma Boy, who at the time was a young and hungry up and coming producer looking to make a name for himself.
From there, she put out a string of mixtapes including 2006’s Still Gangsta with DJ Smallz, 2009’s The Rumors with DJ Drama, and 2015’s Candy, Diamonds & Pills. She also teamed up with friend and fellow Three 6 Mafia affiliate La Chat in 2104 to drop their joint album Witch.
Her recent output saw the “Yeah Hoe” rapper feature on a number of high-profile collaborations, including Run The Jewels tracks “Love Again (Akinyele Back)” and “Walking in the Snow,” and Latto‘s “F.T.C.U.” alongside Memphis newcomer GloRilla.
In addition to DJ Paul, other tributes from Three 6 Mafia members included co-founder Juicy J who posted a photo of himself alongside Gangsta Boo with a lone broken heart emoji in the caption.
Juicy’s older brother and Triple Six affiliate Project Pat posted the cover for Boo’s second album Both Worlds *69, writing: “The Hardest to ever do it R. I. P. @missyeahoe will be missed.”
Crunchy Black shared a clip of a studio session with Boo, writing: “Gangster BOO WE LOVE YOU #BIG MEMPHIS.”
La Chat posted a photograph of her hugging Boo onstage with a caption full of crying and throwing up emojis.
Former Hypnotize Minds artist Lil Wyte said he had “no words” and explained that he and Boo were just “together 2 weeks ago,” while Frayser Boy simply tweeted “Forever Gangsta [fingers crossed emoji].”
M.C. Mack of The Kaze shared a carousel of pics of him and Gangsta Boo, with the caption: “M TOWN LEGENDS STAND UP. CANT BELIEVE U GONE. YOU WILL BE MISSED AND KNOW THAT YOU WAS LOVED #RIP @missyeahoe [three praying hand emojis and one crying emoji] #QOM.”
Several other members of the Hip Hop community have taken to social media to react to the news and pay tribute to Gangsta Boo.
Memphis rapper Duke Deuce, who is never quiet about the huge impact Three 6 Mafia have had on his career, wrote on Twitter: “Long Live The Queen,” sharing a clip of Boo joining him on stage to perform his hit single “Crunk Ain’t Dead.”
Missy Elliott, who Gangsta Boo recently told Billboard was on her list of dream collaborators, shared a photo of the Memphis legend with the caption, “Rest Peacefully @GangstaBooQOM.”
Latto shared a pair of tweets as soon as the news broke about her collaborator’s death. “Nah this not true man,” she wrote, before adding in a second tweet: “NOOOOO,” followed by seven broken heart emojis.
El-P of Run The Jewels shared a message for Boo on Twitter. “Love you Lola thank you for your friendship,” he wrote on Twitter.
The rapper/producer later shared a series of photos with Boo on Instagram, writing: “I don’t have the words yet. I just know we lost a part of our family today. We love you, Lola. Thank you my friend. Our sister forever.”
Drumma Boy also took to Twitter to pay tribute to his “sister” Gangsta Boo, who was a constant in Boo’s life. “This shyt don’t feel real mane life will never be the same without u @missyeahoe,” he wrote alongside a screenshot of an Instagram comment Boo had left him the day before, looking ahead to 2023.
He concluded his post with: “I swear we had the same dad or summn forever my sister.”
HipHopDX extends its condolences to the friends and family of Gangsta Boo. See more tributes from the likes of Jermaine Dupri, Freddie Gibbs, Young Buck, Russ and many others below.
RIP, Boo
We lost Koop, Lord, and Boo….yet we are stuxk with Crunchy Blacc…smmfh…
Show some respect smh
Im very surprised at how young she was. She put in alot of work in that small amount of time. RIP.
One of those rare times somebody I personally knew in the past from this industry has died. I knew Boo and all of those Mafia dudes back in the early 90s when we were all young and dumb, so hate to see her story end like this so prematurely.
You really think this is a time for ducktales? Smh
🧢🧢🧢
Yeah, duck tales to mention that this was someone I actually knew 30 years ago and that makes me sad that she died this young. My bad for bringing up my real life. Get back to the fake shit you come here for.
There’s no need to cuss on the page people are paying their respects on. I believe you but I’m sure you can understand why a lot of people would question a statement like that from an anonymous post. Maybe that person is hurt too. Anyways rip Gangsta Boo.
Grew up listening to Three 6 so this one hits hard. She seemed like such a cool person and a strong woman. Rip Boo.
R.I.P. young lady! Rest in paradise!
Given my age (however i am almost 40) i did miss out on a lot of three 6 mafia but nik $ix is dope i first heard of them back in 2005 i think they had blown up people the dirty south were loving it. A great history here but of course r.i.p. Gangsta boo.
Rip
RIP Gangsta Boo the originator of stripper rap, as she came out several years before Lil Kim. In my mind, she was the first female gangsta rapper that looked hot. All the ones before her were fat and ugly (Boss, Lady of Rage, Yo Yo, etc)
stop it … please… you are just a fuckin clown…. just read your post again … it makes no sense.. was she a stripper rapper or gangsta rapper…. fuck boi … if you don’t know , you ain’t og and you definitely wasn’t outside…..
Louie no you are a clown shut yo mouth. Obviously you never heard “Where dem dollas at” Boo made stripper rap gangsta decades before these gen z hoes made it corny. And I cant take anyone seriously who spells the word “boy” with an “I” at the end. Dude you suspect for real.
so you are calling it stripper rap because this song has been play in a strip club
.because no where in that song is she talking about stripping … so i ask you again , where are you coming up with this .. the only thing suspect is you , playa , so just we clear , you think big boi from outkast is suspected because he spells it with an “i” …i mean stand on what you speak, don’t back track now ….
Wow I was just getting in a good mood and after reading this I’m sad. R.I.P to gangsta Boo, and I remember her second 69 we all was bumping that album and getting drunk and was hyped as hell my condolence. 😥💯
Is this the bitch that kept calling Bizzy Bone crazy?
You’ve had your second of attention. Now grow up and stop being ridiculous, clown.
Is this the bitch that kept calling Bizzy Bone crazy during that Versus?
No, that was your mom.
This is sad. Homegirl could spit. R.I.P. for sure. These ladies nowadays pretty much suck. Boo would rap circles around them. Most of the dudes too. She killed it on the Dre shut and on the Yellawolf shit. Her 666 shut is classic.
Damn, this was unexpected. I read it appears to be drug-related. Possible OD due to fentanyl laced substances. RIP. Her and La Chat are the true OG’s. All these new female rappers are garbage.
Damn, this was unexpected. I read it appears to be drug-related. Possible OD due to fentanyl laced substances. RIP. Her and La Chat are the true OG’s. All these new female rappers are garbage.
My styles are slick, yo body bitch that I will chop in pieces
No fuckin’ clue to da 5-0 click
No fuckin’ witnesses an…
They only saw da mask of Jason that I had on my face
The scandalous bitch is so-so slick that why I got away safe
I blaze da blunt up in da air just to relax and get high
Da moon is full and all I see is 6-6-6 in da sky
The Three 6 Mafia
Tha devils daughter bitch is so wild
Whateva you bitches are doin’ you cannot compare to my mystic style
She was hard af
Before MeganTS there was Gangsta Boo, #rip
It’s funny how nobody cares about you until you die.
the whole idea of they used to do it so it’s ok or some one did something 15-20 years ago so it’s cool and today just a free for all – is killing folks. people either still in this rap industry or currently making money off this rap industry need to understand that sometimes your biggest enemies are the people who used to be your biggest supporters. folks who have counted on blind support for years may find 2023 sht changed on them fast -RIP