Gangsta Boo, known for being a member of the Memphis-bred rap group Three 6 Mafia, has died at the age of 43.
According to Fox 13, Gangsta Boo, born Lola Mitchell, was found dead at her home at approximately 4 pm on Sunday afternoon. The cause of her death is still unknown.
Gangsta Boo was born in Memphis on August 7, 1979 and started rapping around the age of 14. She released her first solo album, Enquiring Minds, in 1998 at the age of 19. The debut project, which spawned the hit single Where Dem Dollas At!?, reached number 15 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 46 on the Billboard 200. Her second album, Both Worlds *69, released in 2001, did even better, reaching number eight on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart and number 29 on the Billboard 200.
In total, Gangsta Boo released three solo albums and six group albums as part of Three 6 Mafia, which was comprised of Dj Paul, Juicy J, Koopsta Knicca, Crunchy Black, and Lord Infamous, who died in 2013. Just last month, Latto released the single “FTCU” featuring Gangsta Boo and fellow Memphis rapper GloRilla.
In a profile with Billboard on December 8, Gangsta Boo discussed her return to the mainstream music scene as well as her impact as a southern femcee, telling the outlet, “I would honestly say that I have to admit, respectfully and humbly, that I am the blueprint.” Remarking that she’s often told, “Gangsta Boo walked so a lot of people could run,” she added, “It just feels great to stand in yourself and look in the mirror and be like, ‘Wow, you did that.’ And not sell your soul and go to bed at night with a smile on your face.”