Gangsta Boo
{{Short description|American rapper (1979–2023)}}
{{For|the Ice Spice song|Gangsta Boo (song)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Gangsta Boo
| image = Gangsta Boo performing at House of Blues (cropped).jpg
| caption = Gangsta Boo performing in 2014
| birth_name = Lola Chantrelle Mitchell
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1979|08|07}}
| birth_place = Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|01|01|1979|08|07}}
| death_place = Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
| genre = {{hlist|Southern hip-hop|gangsta rap|horrorcore}}
| occupation = Rapper
| alias = {{hlist|Lady Boo|The Devil's Daughter}}
| years_active = 1994–2023
| label = {{hlist|Prophet|Hypnotize Minds|Drum Squad}}
| past_member_of = {{hlist|Three 6 Mafia|Prophet Posse|Hypnotize Camp Posse}}
| website = {{URL|http://gangstaboo.com}}
}}
Lola Chantrelle Mitchell (August 7, 1979 – January 1, 2023), better known as Gangsta Boo, was an American rapper. She rose to prominence as a member of Three 6 Mafia, which she joined at the age of 14; after releasing six albums, she left the group and its record label after the release of her second solo album Both Worlds *69 (2001) due to financial disputes and issues regarding promotion of the album. She subsequently released several solo albums and became known for collaborating with artists such as Foxy Brown, La Chat, Eminem, GloRilla, Run the Jewels, Lil Jon, Latto, Outkast, Tinashe, and Yelawolf.
Early life
Lola Chantrelle Mitchell{{Cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/writer/447017467/MITCHELL%20LOLA%20CHANTRELLE|title=Gangsta Boo's works in ASCAP ACE database|website=Ascap.com|access-date=January 8, 2023}} was born in the Whitehaven area of Memphis, Tennessee, on August 7, 1979.{{Cite web|title='The Queen of Memphis': Friends of Gangsta Boo remember the late rapper |url=https://wreg.com/news/local/the-queen-of-memphis-friends-of-gangsta-boo-remember-the-late-rapper/ |first=Shay |last=Arthur |publisher=WREG-TV |date=January 2, 2023 |access-date=January 3, 2023}} She was from a middle-class family, but said that they later "moved to the hood" after her parents divorced. She started rapping at around the age of 14.{{Cite web | url=https://i-d.co/article/twenty-years-in-the-rap-game-with-three-6-mafias-gangsta-boo/ | title=Twenty years in the rap game with three 6 mafia's gangsta boo |website=I-d.vice.com}}
Music career
=Three 6 Mafia=
After being discovered by DJ Paul, Gangsta Boo became a member of Three 6 Mafia, making her the sole female member of the group. She made her first appearance on DJ Paul's mixtape Volume 16: 4 Da Summer Of ’94, released in 1994. She was on the group's 1995 debut album Mystic Stylez and on four more albums until she ultimately left the group in 2001 to prioritize her solo career.{{Cite web|title=Gangsta Boo, a former member of Three 6 Mafia, dies at 43 |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/01/03/1146620566/gangsta-boo-a-former-member-of-three-6-mafia-dies-at-43 |publisher=NPR |date=January 3, 2023 |access-date=January 3, 2023}}
In 2013, she joined the Three 6 Mafia spin-off group Da Mafia 6ix, and was significantly featured on their debut mixtape 6ix Commandments.{{cite web |url=http://www.datpiff.com/Da-Mafia-6ix-6ix-Commandments-mixtape.550198.html |title=Da Mafia 6ix - 6ix Commandments Hosted by Trap-A-Holics Mixtape - Stream & Download |website=Datpiff.com |access-date=August 10, 2015 |archive-date=January 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102155653/https://www.datpiff.com/Da-Mafia-6ix-6ix-Commandments-mixtape.550198.html |url-status=dead }} She departed from the group in 2014.{{cite web|last=Baker |first=Soren |url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.28690/title.dj-paul-reveals-gangsta-boo-s-departure-from-da-mafia-6ix |title=DJ Paul Reveals Gangsta Boo's Departure From Da Mafia 6ix |website=HipHopDX |date=May 29, 2014 |access-date=August 10, 2015}}
=Solo work=
Gangsta Boo's first solo album, Enquiring Minds, was released in 1998 and reached number 15 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 46 on the Billboard 200.[http://www.billboard.com/charts/1999-05-22/r-b-hip-hop-albums Enquiring Minds (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart)], Billboard, May 22, 1999.[http://www.billboard.com/charts/1998-11-21/billboard-200 Enquiring Minds (Billboard 200 chart)], Billboard, November 21, 1998. The album featured the surprise hit "Where Dem Dollas At!?".{{cite web | url=http://www.memphisflyer.com/CallingtheBluff/archives/2013/03/25/q-and-a-with-gangsta-boo | title=Q & A with Gangsta Boo | publisher=Memphis Flyer | date=March 25, 2013 | access-date=May 7, 2014 | author=Louis Goggans}}
Her second album, Both Worlds *69 (2001), reached number 8 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart and number 29 on the Billboard 200.[http://www.billboard.com/charts/2001-11-03/r-b-hip-hop-albums Both Worlds *69 (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart)], Billboard, November 3, 2001.[http://www.billboard.com/charts/2001-10-06/billboard-200 Both Worlds *69 (Billboard 200 chart)], Billboard, October 6, 2001. In 2003, she released her third album, Enquiring Minds II: The Soap Opera. The album peaked at number 53 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart and 24 on the Independent Albums chart.[http://www.billboard.com/charts/2003-11-22/r-b-hip-hop-albums Minds II: Soap Opera (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart)], Billboard, November 22, 2003.[http://www.billboard.com/charts/2003-11-15/independent-albums Enquiring Minds II: Soap Opera (Top Independent Albums chart)], Billboard'', November 15, 2003.
In 2009, Gangsta Boo released her third mixtape The Rumors (following her previous mixtapes Street Ringers Vol. 1 and Still Gangsta). She also released two mixtapes with DJ Fletch, Miss.Com (No DJ Version on iTunes) and 4 Da Hood. On June 27, 2011, she released her mixtape with Trap-A-Holics, Forever Gangsta. That same year, she collaborated with Yelawolf and Eminem on the song "Throw It Up".{{Cite web |last=Fitzgerald |first=Trent|title=Yelawolf, 'Throw It Up' Feat. Gangsta Boo and Eminem – Song Review |url=https://popcrush.com/yelawolf-throw-it-up-gangsta-boo-eminem/ |access-date=January 2, 2023 |website=PopCrush |date=November 13, 2011 |language=en}}
On May 27, 2014, the extended play Witch, a collaboration with La Chat, was released. On October 14, 2014, Gangsta Boo teamed up with BeatKing and released a collaborative mixtape, Underground Cassette Tape Music, Vol. 1.{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Gangsta-Boo-Beatking-Underground-Cassette-Tape-Music/release/6227973|title=Gangsta Boo & Beatking* - Underground Cassette Tape Music|website=Discogs|date=October 14, 2014 |language=en|access-date=April 24, 2019}} In 2018, a successor mixtape titled Underground Cassette Tape Music, Vol. 2, was released.
Gangsta Boo was featured on the Run the Jewels track "Love Again (Akinyele Back)" from their 2014 album Run the Jewels 2, and reappeared on the track "Walking in the Snow" from their 2020 album RTJ4. In 2022, she was featured alongside GloRilla on the song "FTCU" by rapper Latto.{{Cite web |title=Latto Taps GloRilla and Gangsta Boo for New Song and Video "FTCU" |url=https://www.complex.com/music/latto-glorilla-gangsta-boo-ftcu-video |access-date=January 2, 2023 |website=Complex |language=en}} At the time of her death, she had been working on an album that was planned to be titled The BooPrint.
Death
On January 1, 2023, at the age of 43, Mitchell was found dead on the front porch of her mother's home in the Whitehaven neighborhood of Memphis. Memphis Police Department stated that there was no evidence of foul play.{{cite web | url=https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/local/memphis-rapper-gangsta-boo-found-dead-three-6-mafia-group-founder-confirms/I32NPSK5DNGCTCEGL7R5HELNCA/ | title=Gangsta Boo's mother speaks after Memphis rapper's death |website=FOX13 News Memphis| date=January 3, 2023 }} Her autopsy revealed cocaine, fentanyl, and alcohol in her system; on June 15, her cause of death was listed as an accidental overdose of cocaine that had been cut with fentanyl.{{cite web | last=Minska |first=Evan | url=https://pitchfork.com/news/gangsta-boos-cause-of-death-revealed/ | title=Gangsta Boo's Cause of Death Revealed | website=Pitchfork | date=June 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240123133227/https://pitchfork.com/news/gangsta-boos-cause-of-death-revealed/ |archive-date=January 23, 2024 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |date=January 1, 2023 |title=Memphis rapper "Gangsta Boo" found dead, Three 6 Mafia group founder confirms |url=https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/local/memphis-rapper-gangsta-boo-found-dead-three-6-mafia-group-founder-confirms/I32NPSK5DNGCTCEGL7R5HELNCA/ |access-date=January 1, 2023 |website=FOX13 News Memphis |language=en}}
Discography
=Solo albums=
- Enquiring Minds (1998)
- Both Worlds *69 (2001)
- Enquiring Minds II: The Soap Opera (2003)
= With Three Six Mafia=
- Mystic Stylez (1995)
- Chapter. 1 The End (1996)
- Chapter 2: World Domination (1997)
- When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1 (2000)
- Choices: The Album (2001)
= Compilation albums=
= With Tear Da Club Up Thugs=
- CrazyNDaLazDayz (1999)
=== With Da Mafia 6ix===
- 6ix Commandments (2013)
=== With DJ Paul ===
- Volume 16: 4 Da Summer Of ’94 (1994)
=== With DJ Paul & Lord Infamous===
- Come with Me 2 Hell Part 2 (1995)
= With DJ Paul & Juicy J=
- Volume 3: Spring Mix (1995)
=With Prophet Posse=
- Body Parts (1998)
=With Hypnotize Camp Posse=
- Hypnotize Camp Posse (2000)
=With La Chat=
- Witch (2014)
=Mixtapes=
{{Div col}}
- Still Gangsta (with DJ Smallz) (2006)
- Memphis Queen Is Back (Still Gangsta Slowed & Throwed) (2007)
- The Rumors (with DJ Drama) (2009)
- Miss.Com (with DJ Fletch) (2010)
- 4 Da Hood (with DJ Fletch) (2011)
- Foreva Gangsta (with Trap-A-Holics) (2011)
- It's Game Involved (2013)
- Underground Cassette Tape Music (with Beatking) (2014)
- Candy, Diamonds & Pill's (2015){{Cite web | url=http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/34964/gangsta-boo-candy-diamonds-pills.html | title=Gangsta Boo - Candy, Diamonds & Pills Mixtape|website=Livemixtapes.com}}
- Underground Cassette Tape Music 2 (with Beatking) (2018)
{{Div col end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDB name|3997870}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20010730182258/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bio.asp?oid=5961&cf=5961 Rolling Stone profile]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20031102050228/http://ubl.artistdirect.com/music/artist/bio/0,,688224,00.html?artist=Gangsta+Boo Ultimate Band List profile]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20050402082643/http://memphisrap.com/community/article115.html Artist News: Straight from MTV.COM: Breaking News on Gangsta 'Lady Boo']
- {{Cite news|title=Return of the Gangsta|url=http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/Content?oid=oid%3A4483|author=Andria Lisle|publisher=Memphis Flyer|date=October 23, 2003}}
- [https://gangstaboo.com Gangsta Boo Official Website]
{{Three 6 Mafia}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boo, Gangsta}}
Category:African-American women rappers
Category:Prophet Entertainment
Category:Rappers from Memphis, Tennessee
Category:Three 6 Mafia members
Category:20th-century American rappers
Category:21st-century American rappers
Category:20th-century American women musicians
Category:21st-century American women musicians
Category:20th-century American women rappers
Category:21st-century American women rappers
Category:Drug-related deaths in Tennessee