Rap pioneer Bo$$, who was the first female to be signed to Def Jam in the 1990s, has passed away. She was 54.
Bun B broke the news about the rapper who was born Lichelle Marie Laws on his Instagram page. He penned “Rest in peace to my big sis Lichelle Laws aka Boss. One of the best female MCs and a dear friend. Give Rick Royal a hug for me. Long Live The Org!”
There is no word on what precipitated her passing. However, Bun B’s post got a strong reaction throughout the hip-hop world, including words of praise from the likes of Jermaine Dupri, Slim Thug, Jadakiss, Ed Lover, Lloyd Banks, 9th Wonder, and others.
DJ Battlecat praised Bo$$ for being a pioneer in the hip-hop space and added, “Rest in Detroit Queen.”
DJ Premier used the opportunity to appeal to the conscience of Def Jam to release a collaborative effort he and Bo$$ recorded in 1993.
Bo$$ was born and raised in Detroit, but she moved to Los Angeles shortly after graduation to pursue her dream of becoming a star rapper. After getting acclimated to the LA scene, she reportedly caught the attention of someone from DJ Quik’s inner circle.
Russell Simmons signed her to Def Jam where she quickly worked on and released her only album, Born Gangstaz, which included the hit single “Deeper.”
“TMZ” reports that Bo$$ suffered from major medical maladies during the latter stages of her life. In 2011, she was diagnosed with renal disease, and in 2017 she suffered a stroke and seizures. Her camp set up a GoFundMe account to offset the astronomical medical bills.
