Source:
Al
Pereira
/
Getty
Groundbreaking
rapper
Boss,
born
Lichelle
Marie
Laws,
and
one
the
first
female
MC’s
signed
to
Def
Jam,
has
passed
away.
She
was
54.
Bun
B
broke
the
news
of
her
death
when
the
Texas
rapper
shared
his
condolences
on
his
Instagram.
“Rest
in
peace
to
my
big
sis
Lichelle
Laws
AKA
Boss.
One
of
the
best
female
MCs
and
a
dear
friend,”
wrote
B
in
the
caption
of
a
photo
of
Boss
flipping
up
a
pair
birds.
“Give
Rick
Royal
a
hug
for
me.
Long
Live
The
Org!”
Boss,
stylized
Bo$$,
was
the
very
first
female
rap
act
signed
to
Def
Jam,
with
her
debut
album,
Born
Gangstaz,
released
in
1993.
The
lead
single—the
Def
Jef
produced
“Deeper”—was
a
no.
1
hit
on
the
rap
charts.
Her
gruff
style
and
hardcore
delivery,
along
with
beats
provided
by
Erick
Sermon,
T-Ray,
MC
Serch
and
the
late
Jam
Master
Jay,
amongst
others,
quickly
made
her
a
fan
favorite,
but
a
proper
follow-up
album
never
materialized.
Although
tabbed
as
a
West
Coast
rapper,
she
was
actually
born
in
Detroit.
Moving
to
Los
Angeles
after
high
school,
she
was
discovered
by
DJ
Quik,
who
put
her
on
a
track
with
AMG.
Word
is
it
got
the
attention
of
Def
Jam
co-founder
Russell
Simmons,
who
inked
her
to
the
label’s
fledgling
Def
Jam
West
imprint—but
those
in
the
know
say
Tracy
Waples
(an
executive
producer
on
the
album)
is
who
actually
pushed
for
her
signing.
In
the
mid-1990s
she
reportedly
settled
in
Houston,
where
she
remained
ever
since.
Unfortunately,
in
2011
she
experience
kidney
failure
and
suffered
from
a
stroke
in
2017.
At
this
time
there
are
no
specifics
about
her
cause
of
death.
As
information
got
out
about
her
untimely
passing
the
Hip-Hop
community—fans,
friends
and
peers—started
saluting
her
on
social
media.
Peep
some
of
the
overdue
flowers
given
in
the
gallery.
