She was sometimes referred to as “the Queen of Memphis”. Other times she was “Lady Boo”. But more often than not, she was “Gangsta Boo” – given name, Lola Mitchell.
On the first of 2023, Mitchell, 43, was found dead at a friend’s Memphis home, according to The Commercial Appeal’s news partner, WMC Action News 5, who spoke with Delmar H. Lawrence, aka Mr. . a contributor to the Three 6 Mafia – the iconic Memphis group that brought Mitchell and others to fame.
Lawrence’s comments were among many that have come from other artists who have worked with Mitchell.
Mitchell’s cause of death is unknown; his death comes just a year after Memphis mourned the murder of Castilia Heights born Adolph Thornton Jr., better known as Young Dolph.
On Monday afternoon, police confirmed Mitchell’s death in a tweet, saying officers found her dead at around 2:18 pm Sunday, when responding to a call in the 1600 block of Raines Road. The investigation is ongoing and her autopsy results are pending, but there are no immediate signs of foul play, police said.
Gangster Boo:Celebrities react to Gangsta Boo’s death: ‘Queen of Memphis FOREVER’
By early Sunday evening, tributes to artists Mitchell had worked directly with or influenced began to pile up.
Alphonzo Bailey, a renowned Memphis rapper known as Al Kapone, was a friend and collaborator of Mitchell. He described Mitchell’s death as a deep and significant loss for Memphis. Mitchell, he told The Commercial Appeal, let him know early on what her own style and influence meant to her.
“This is a huge loss for the Memphis rap community,” said Bailey. “Boo is one of the first to represent female rappers in a major way and is still respected by today’s new female rappers like GloRilla and Gloss. Gangsta Boo is one of the reasons Memphis rap is global today. He will be missed and will always be missed represent her legacy. I am sending my condolences to her family.”
DJ Paul, one of the founding members of Three 6 Mafia and an early collaborator of Mitchell, took to social media to pay tribute to her on Sunday, with a wordless post of Mitchell on a turntable mixer.
Widely considered a pioneer among female rappers, Mitchell’s steady rise as an ambassador for Memphis hip-hop began with her work on Three 6 Mafia’s first full-length studio album, “Mystic Stylez”, in the mid-’90s. She recorded several albums with the original Three 6 Mafia core before splitting from the group following the release of her second solo album in 2001, “Both Worlds *69”.
And while his early success is largely associated with Three 6 Mafia, his solo work has stuck. In 1998, she released “Enquiring Minds”, which included the hit “Where Dem Dollars At?!”
All three of his solo albums have charted on the R&B charts. A steady stream of mix tapes and collaborations has kept his name in the game over a career spanning nearly three decades.
Last week, Mitchell filmed a never-before-seen video with award-winning Memphian producer Drumma Boy, according to a written statement from Echo Hattix of Echoing Soundz.
Hattix also shared a statement from Veronica Mitchell, Mitchell’s mother, and other family members:
“The Mitchell family would like to thank everyone for their condolences on the untimely passing of Lola ‘Gangsta Boo’ Mitchell. The family asks for your continued prayers and privacy as we process the loss of our loved one,” they said.
Hattix’s statement also said the cause of death was not disclosed due to the ongoing investigation.
Mitchell’s relevance as one of the first great female rappers representing the South has endured, and she singled out other female rappers who followed, including Gloria Woods, better known as GloRilla, the last Memphis rapper to break into the national spotlight with hits like “FNF”
In November 2022, Mitchell made an appearance on the popular cultural show “Drink Champs” and spoke about rising stars GloRilla and Memphis rapper Gloss Up; supporting women in rap, Mitchell said, was important.
“It made me feel good because they were crazy and they represented Memphis correctly,” Mitchell said.
On Sunday night, Woods shared screenshots, allegedly of conversations between her and Mitchell.
“She always supported me and the girls before we blew up,” Woods said.
Commercial Appeal reporter Katherine Burgess contributed to this report.
Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal, covering access and equity issues. She can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com.