Before Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Rapsody or even Lauryn Hill, there was Lichelle Laws — better known as Detroit-born rapper Bo$$. The now 51-year-old was introduced to Def Jam Recordings co-founder Russell Simmons who wound up signing her to Def Jam West — not the OG Def Jam as some reports suggest.
After dropping her debut album Born Gangstaz in 1993 — which peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart — she hit the road with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg but ultimately retreated from the spotlight.
Now, Laws needs Hip Hop’s help. According to a GoFundMe page, Laws suffers from renal disease, which rendered her kidneys useless for processing toxins in her body. In 2017, she suffered a major stroke and seizure and is desperate need of a kidney transplant.
“We are now trying to see if the family can get a specialized procedure for her,” the campaign’s description reads. “The procedure is costly and we wanted to reach out to her extended family, her friends and fans, to ask for assistance with helping her to be blessed with this procedure to help her to get back to her health. The funds are needed as soon as possible to set her up for the procedure.
“After this procedure she will be on the kidney list for a transplant from a donor, once we receive one. We are humbly requesting your help family. Please give whatever you can. We are grateful for anything that you can do.”
The goal has been set at $15,000 and so far, the campaign has pulled in just over $2,000 in roughly two weeks.
Laws never found the success she found in the early ’90s. In 1994, her street cred was called into question when she was interviewed by a reporter for The Wall Street Journal who revealed she grew up in a middle-class neighborhood on the West Side of Detroit, studied ballet and piano and attended a private Catholic school where she was a cheerleader.
Laws’ mother had already divulged the information on the album’s intro where she described her daughter as a “a young lady who was brought up through Catholic school for 12 years and dance schools, tap dance, jazz, piano lessons and all of that.”
The intro continued, “Plus, you went to college for three years. Now you have all of that on your answering machine, I did not spend out all of my money on you for that gangster stuff and I don’t like it.” But despite the transparency and fact her mother was not pleased with her decision to pursue rap, Laws’ reputation suffered.
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Outside of Born Gangstaz — produced in part by Def Jef, Erick Sermon, Chyskillz, the late Jam Master Jay and MC Serch — Laws collaborated with Krayzie Bone on 2001’s Thug On Da Line and released a mixtape called The Six Million Dollar Mixtape in 2004.
She hit with Deeper, and then her career was pretty much over with when people called her out for being from the suburbs.
No.
She said she was from the suburbs on her album. Listen to phone messages on the intros and skits.
I’m from that era. I heard it. It didn’t get scrutiny until she blew up with Deeper. Still remember the video with her sitting with dark locs on. Then, they started clowning her in the rap media about how she wasn’t authentic even though, like you said, she put it on her album.
Idiot.,, you know jackshit… do more research ass
She’s Detroit born & bred without a doubt…But when you go to Catholic School, and are college educated, there is no room for you life to even sound like a struggle. By far She’s still one of the dopest rappers ever to drop lyrics.
Its alot of people that wasn’t from the hood or live there but they hung there.how do you define that?
Boss was produced by Total Trak Production‘s and AMG don’t think Quik was even in town when we did my sister a bitch. She is one if the dopest female rappers I’ve ever met.
TTP was one the dopest under-rated production teams of the 90’s. Shout out Tracy Kendrick and Courtney Tha Commander. Get well soon Boss.
Damn I always wondered what happened to her. She was straight fire on the mic. Hope she gets well
I wish she could have continued her success she was one the best if not the best female rapper I ever heard. I wondered how far would she have went, prob could have transition into tv/movies/radio by then no one would have cared about her street cred.
Till this day in my opinion she still has the best overall album by any female with only 1 album to her credit. To her credit, when she made that album she was staying on the streets in the hood hustlin. But her parents claimed she could have came home if she wanted to. It shouldn’t have really made a difference anyway, considering all the fake ass male rappers that have sought fame claiming to be gangstas, dope dealers, etc. Mfkas like Queen Latifah wete just jealous she came out from the gate selling units they weren’t. Latifah’s. UNITY was a slick diss towards Boss. Hope she gets whatvshe needs. Much Respect to you QUEEN
All facts here. Didn’t know Latifah was sneak dissing on Unity. Gonna have to listen again. Hope Boss pulls through
One of the few female album i ever bought Da brat being the other. Recipe of a hoe always in my playlist. One of the best to ever come out of Detroit and one of the best female mc’s ever. Hope she pulls thru.
Please get well boo?
I didn’t see anything that involved DJ Quik in this article.
Ikr…but they can trick off on groupies…thats f****d up
Get well boss you are still the best female rapper ever
This is East coast time
I will be more than happy to donate a kidney to The Best Female Rapper B0$$ We are all children of god and we have to help each other in each other’s time of need. Please contact me immediately to see if Im a match Iam a very healthy 26 year old. I would love to help. Thank you ❤️ & god bless ?
I will sell you mine cheap..
*Where.s Russell Simmons, Snoop, Dr. Dre?? These guys and so many more have the resources to help her. Everyone else is struggling. Wealthy rappers and music execs from that era should really be helping her. We can all give but those guys can donate thousands. I hope she pulls through this she was always my fave. I always thought she was beautiful under all of that gangsta exterior! So saddened by this news!
You can have mine if it’s a match
Shady Records stepped up.
I’m in HOUSTON down here freezing. SCARFACE has also been pleading for a DONOR KIDNEY. I was on DIALYSIS for 5 years before having my TRANSPLANT in 2011. Get on the list and WAIT YOUR TURN. It’s unfair to us regular people. If you are a SMOKER, You will not pass that BREATH TEST you must in order to undergo the 8 Hour Operation
That shit was fire when it came out and still sounds good 2this day