Rapper Boss, Def Jam West’s first female MC has died. Boss, who was born Lichelle Laws in Detroit, Michigan released her debut album Born Gangstaz, in ’93. Born Gangstaz reached number three on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart largely due to the smash singles “Deeper” and “Recipe For A Hoe”.
After relocating to Los Angeles rapper Boss and her DJ, DJ Dee were discovered by DJ Quik who paired them with AMG, and she was signed by Russell Simmons to Def Jam West.
In 2017 rapper Boss suffered a major stroke and seizure, and a GoFundMe page was set up to assist with her medical expenses. Laws had reportedly been suffering from renal disease since 2011, which left her in need of a kidney transplant.
Bun B took to IG to announce her passing. “Rest in peace to my big sis Lichelle Laws AKA Boss,” he posted. “One of the best female MC’s and a dear friend. Give Rick Royal a hug for me. Long live the Org!”
“Rest in peace to my big sis Lichelle Laws AKA Boss,” the UGK rapper wrote. “One of the best female MCs and a dear friend. Give Rick Royal a hug for me. Long Live The Org!”
A post shared by @djpremier:
“Damn! R.I.P. BO$$. Condolences to your family…SALUTE DETROIT!” Premier wrote. “We did a dope “Deeper Rmx” @defjam never released. Back in 1993 she came to D & D and recut her vocals to my beat. It was so RAW. We had a good session drinking 40’s, puffin Lah and vibing. Can someone at Def Jam find that in the Vaults? I want a copy of that Remix. Sleep Peacefully Queen. S**t was mad real.”
Born and raised in Detroit, Bo$$ was the first woman in Hip-Hop to sign with Def Jam West in the early 1990s. DJ Quik discovered her in Los Angeles while she attended Oakland University and put her on a song with rapper AMG called “Mai Sista Izza B***h.” Russell Simmons liked it so much that he signed her to Def Jam’s West Coast division. She released her debut album Born Gangstaz in 1993 which features contributions from Onyx, Eazy-E, Jam Master Jay, MC Serch, Erick Sermon and others.
After her debut album dropped, Laws moved to Texas where she launched her career in radio. She remained on the air for five years until she began to experience health issues. She continued to drop music like her 2004 project The Six Million Dollar Mixtape and a collaboration with Krayzie Bone. However, her health also began to deteriorate. According to a recent GoFundMe page, Laws was in need of a kidney in 2011 due to renal disease. In 2017, she had a “major stroke and seizure.” In an update posted last year, Laws had the procedure and was doing good, but she was “working through some challenges” at the time.