Trailblazing rapper Boss, who brought West Coast gangsta rap fervor to the Def Jam Recordings roster in the early 1990s, has died. No cause of death has been revealed. She was 54.
News of the Detroit native’s death was shared on social media by rap peers such as MC Lyte, Bun B. and DJ Premier on Monday.
“RIP to one of the hardest that ever did it!,” MC Lyte wrote on Instagram. “#Boss will forever be missed. A mainstay. Also many bricks to this femme fatale house of hip hop.”
DJ Premier recalled working with Boss, born Lichelle Marie Laws, on a remix of her breakthrough song, “Deeper,” that was never released.
“Back in 1993 she came to D & D and recut her vocals to my beat,” he shared in his post. “It was so RAW. We had a good session drinking 40’s, puffin Lah and vibing…Sleep Peacefully Queen. Shit was mad real.”
Boss became immersed in gritty California culture when she moved to Los Angeles. Rapper and producer DJ Quik gave her a chance by putting her on AMG’s “Mai Sista Izza B—-,” which drew the attention of Def Jam Records executives who signed her to their west coast imprint, DJ West.
Contrary to erroneous media reports that Boss was the first female rapper signed to Def Jam, she was preceded by Nikki D.
Amid the explosion of gangsta rap, Boss blazed a trail of her own with her 1993 solo debut, “Born Gangstaz.”
“It was a lot of problems. We had to go out to L.A. and struggle for three years … real real hard… but we stayed true to it and we got signed so we’re doing our own thing now,” Boss said of her one and only solo outing during a 1993 interview.
With song titles such as “I Don’t Give A F—,” “Diary of a Mad B—-” and “Progress of Elimination,” the 17-track album featured collaborations with Onyx and Def Jef, buoyed by production from Erick Sermon, Jam Master Jay, Tracey Waples and MC Serch.
“We got a gang of flavors, but it’s mainly street underground,” she added.
“Deeper” became a Billboard’s Hot Rap Singles chart topper and peaked at No. 65 on the Hot 100.
The “Recipe of a Ho” lyricist moved away from performing during the mid-1990s, relocating to Dallas to work as a radio DJ.
In 2001, she appeared on two tracks for Krayzie Bone‘s second solo album, “Thug on da Line.”
A 2021 GoFundMe campaign was set up by Boss’ family to help pay for her medical bills related to the renal disease she suffered since 2011. According to its description, the rapper suffered a stroke and seizure in 2017 and was in need of a kidney transplant.
