Gangsta Boo

Early Life: Roots in Memphis

Gangsta Boo was the First Lady of Southern hip-hop, a voice that cut through the bass-heavy beats of Memphis with unflinching honesty, clever wit, and a signature drawl that made you stop and listen. She wasn’t just one of the few women in the male-dominated world of hardcore rap—she was one of the best, period. A pioneer, a provocateur, and a poet of the streets, Gangsta Boo helped build a movement from the underground up, leaving behind a legacy that still echoes through every beat that bumps in the South today

Born on August 7, 1979, in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee, Lola Mitchell grew up in Whitehaven, a middle-class, predominantly Black neighbourhood affectionately known as "Blackhaven." Her household was steeped in Southern culture, gospel rhythms, and hard truths. Her father was a professional chef, and her mother was a homemaker. Their divorce when Lola was a teenager was one of the first major turning points in her life. It cracked open a layer of emotional vulnerability that would later inform her raw, unfiltered lyrics.

Music was more than a passion; it was a lifeline. Lola was drawn to poetry and storytelling from an early age, writing rhymes in her notebooks while navigating the typical chaos of adolescence. Memphis itself, with its deep blues roots and burgeoning underground rap scene, became both her backdrop and her muse.

One fun fact: before she ever stepped into a studio, she recorded verses using a tape recorder in her bedroom, experimenting with cadences and ad-libs that would later become her trademarks.

Education: School, the Streets, and Studio Booths

Gangsta Boo attended Hillcrest High School, but traditional education wasn’t where she found her calling. School gave her structure, but the real education came from navigating life in Memphis—watching local artists hustle mixtapes out of trunks, catching on to the rising tide of Southern rap that was making noise beyond the Mason-Dixon line.

Her classroom became the studio. By the time she was 14, she was already catching the attention of influential figures in Memphis’s underground rap scene. She wasn’t waiting to be discovered; she was demanding to be heard.

Early Career: Breaking In with Three 6 Mafia

In 1994, at just 15 years old, Lola became the sole female member of the now-legendary Memphis rap group Three 6 Mafia. Under the alias Gangsta Boo, she made her debut on the group’s 1995 breakthrough album Mystic Stylez, an eerie, lo-fi record that helped define the horrorcore-infused crunk sound.

At a time when women in hip-hop were often sidelined or hypersexualised, Boo was both fierce and unapologetic. She didn’t try to blend in—she stood out. Her verses were as gritty, aggressive, and sharp as those of her male counterparts, but laced with a swagger and sensitivity that made her unforgettable. Her presence helped normalise a powerful female voice in a space that hadn’t made room for one before.

Her 1998 solo debut Enquiring Minds was a revelation. With tracks like “Where Dem Dollas At,” she carved out her identity beyond Three 6, showing she could dominate the charts and the streets. The album sold over 300,000 copies independently, which was a massive feat at the time, especially for a woman in Southern rap.

Beyond the Mafia: Reinvention and Resilience

After years of success, internal tensions and creative differences led Boo to leave Three 6 Mafia in 2001. But her departure wasn’t a retreat—it was a reinvention. She released *Both Worlds 69 in 2001 and Enquiring Minds II: The Soap Opera in 2003, doubling down on her independent artistry. These albums, packed with gritty confessionals and club anthems, showed her lyrical growth and business acumen.

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Boo became a go-to collaborator for both underground and mainstream acts. She worked with OutKast, Eminem, E-40, Gucci Mane, and Run The Jewels—her verse on RTJ’s “Love Again” in 2014 was widely praised for its boldness and sex-positive confidence.

Even as musical trends evolved, Boo never compromised her authenticity. Whether rapping about money, power, pain, or pleasure, she stayed true to her voice—a voice that carried generations of Southern women who had never before heard themselves in rap.

Personal Life: The Woman Behind the Boo

Offstage, Lola was a private person—funny, spiritual, and thoughtful. She was known for her generosity to friends and fans alike. While she didn’t have children, she often mentored young women in music, encouraging them to find their voice without apology.

She also had a deep love for fashion and spirituality, often posting about her Christian faith and interest in astrology on social media. There was a duality in her—a woman who could spit fire on a track and then meditate quietly in her home, sipping tea.

One quirky detail? Boo was a massive fan of The Golden Girls and often referenced them as her “guilty pleasure.”

Legacy: A Southern Giant with an Unshakable Voice

Gangsta Boo passed away tragically on January 1, 2023, at the age of 43. The hip-hop world mourned deeply. Artists across generations—Cardi B, Latto, GloRilla, and Megan Thee Stallion—acknowledged her as a trailblazer who kicked down the door so they could walk through it.

More than just a rapper, Boo was a cultural force. She helped shape the crunk sound, redefined what a Southern female emcee could be, and proved time and again that her voice mattered even when the industry didn’t always want to hear it.

Today, her music still pulses through club speakers, late-night mixtapes, and the beats of every bold woman stepping up to the mic.