Rapper Gangsta Boo dead at 43: cause of death, why are group called Three 6 Mafia, are they still together?

Lola Mitchell, 43, otherwise known as “Gangsta Boo” was reportedly found dead on Sunday (1 January). According to sources confirmed by Variety, the former member of American hip-hop group Three 6 Mafia was found dead around 4pm local time, her representatives confirmed.

Her Three 6 Mafia bandmate DJ Paul K.O.M. then reiterated the news, sharing a photo of her DJing in tribute. Gangsta Boo joined Three 6 Mafia when she was just 15, after catching the attention of DJ Paul during a school talent show. She released a debut solo album titled ‘Enquiring Minds’ in 1998, as well as going on to release countless influential LPs with the group.

In 2001, she left Three 6 Mafia to pursue her solo career, releasing further albums ‘Both Worlds *69’ (2001) and ‘Enquiring Minds II: The Soap Opera’ (2003). Here’s everything you need to know about Gangsta Boo:

What was the cause of death?

Sources connected to Gangsta Boo have told entertainment channel TMZ that Gangsta Boo’s death appeared to be drug-related. Gangsta was reportedly with her brother at a local concert in Memphis, and it has been said that her sibling required hospitalisation after an alleged overdose.

While he ended up being okay, TMZ has reported that people familiar with Gangsta Boo’s death scene insist narcotics were found on her person and that a fentanyl-laced substance is believed to be at play. Police are reportedly investigating the incident and an official autopsy is still required to determine the cause of death.

Why are the group called Three 6 Mafia?

Three 6 Mafia were a group of rappers that included Juicy J, Lord Infamous, DJ Paul and Crunchy Black. Formed in 1991 by DJ Paul, Lord Infamous, and Juicy J, they shortly thereafter recruited fellow Memphian rappers Koopsta Knicca, Gangsta Boo, and Crunchy Black. According to The Ringer, a Lord Infamous freestyle rechristened them “Triple Six Mafia,” after the new members had been added.

Following news of her death, her former labelmates DJ Paul and Juicy J posted a photo of her on Instagram account:

Gangsta was also featured on Three 6 Mafia’s first 5 studio albums including their debut record in ‘95’s "Mystic Stylez" as well as other notable projects like ‘Chapter 1,’ ‘When the Smoke Clears’ and even the ‘Choices’ album that served as the soundtrack to the movie. In 2006, Juicy J and DJ Paul won an Academy Award for “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp” from Hustle & Flow.

In 2001, Gangsta Boo had already left Three 6 Mafia to pursue her solo career, releasing further albums ‘Both Worlds *69’ (2001) and ‘Enquiring Minds II: The Soap Opera’ (2003). More recently, she has collaborated with Run The Jewels, Blood Orange, Gucci Mane, Clipping and more, while a new project called ‘The BooPrint’ was reportedly in the works for a 2023 release.

Speaking to Billboard in December 2022, she said: I would honestly say that I have to admit, respectfully and humbly, that I am the blueprint. I hear my cadence in a lot of men and female rappers.

“It’s hard to f– lie to myself and says, “Oh wow, she’s from New York but she raps like she’s from Memphis. Oh wow, this person is from f– wherever, but they rap like they are from Memphis.” Because I’m not talking about anybody in particular, but my sound is a Memphis sound. It’s a Gangsta Boo sound, it’s a Three 6 Mafia sound. So, I am the blueprint and I wear that badge proudly as f–.”

Are Three 6 Mafia still together?

In 2020, the Memphis rap group reunited after an 11-year hiatus. Speaking to NME, DJ Paul said: “It was all about timing and it felt right for everybody. On top of that, with what’s going on with the music scene right now, with everybody redoing old Three 6 Mafia songs we’re more popular now than we were when we were putting out music. So we just felt that this was probably the best time to come back.”

When asked about why they had split in the first place, cofounder DJ Paul said: “It really was just down to the label not being together. At that time Sony was going, Columbia and Island was going through a lot of transitioning, and they brought in some guys from the UK.

“We weren’t comfortable with bringing out any new Three 6 Mafia stuff with the label in the position it was in. They wanted us to go pop and they wanted to turn us into a UK group because it was ran by UK people at the time. We weren’t feeling the situation and ended up not putting out another album. Our last album was called ‘Laws Of Power’. We actually made that album.”

With that being said DJ Paul added that due to the disagreement with the label, they decided it would just be best to make solo material to keep the money rolling. He reiterated that the group never fell out but concentrated on solo projects. In regards to Gangsta Boo rejoining the group, he said that as she had left, it would not have been a possibility, however, the option had been open.