Gangsta Boo remembered as 'Queen of Memphis,' pioneering artist, family

Her music played, “Momma Boo” danced and the crowd exclaimed their love for the “Queen of Memphis.”

Gangsta Boo — given name Lola Mitchell — was remembered in style Friday night at a celebration of life held at Railgarten.

“This young lady was not just a great performer, but she really set the stage for what came after her," said Karlisha Benymon, a first cousin and caretaker of Mitchell’s mother. "Artists who came after her are here today because of what she started in the '80s and the '90s. It says a lot about our city, and it says a lot about her.”

As the evening began, DJ Jus Borne played songs from Mitchell’s discography ranging from throwbacks to her early days to her most popular hits.

Slideshows on the bar’s TV screens and a projector on the wall showed Mitchell in smiling photos alongside family and friends, along with professional portraits.

At the celebration of life, artists spoke about Mitchell's talent, but also her care for others and her commitment as a friend.

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Her mother, Veronica Mitchell — called Momma Boo by those gathered Friday — danced at the center of the crowd. The DJs played a song dedicated to "Momma Boo," Tupac's "Dear Mama."

“I think (Lola Mitchell) would want to be remembered not just as a performer, but a cousin, a niece, a sister," Benymon said. "She was just a great all-around person. She loved her family and she would say many times family means everything. There’s nothing she would not do for family. I really think she’ll be remembered as a family person.”

Mitchell, 43, was found dead in a friend’s home in Memphis on New Year’s Day. The investigation is ongoing and results of her autopsy are pending, but there were no immediate signs of foul play, police said.

A rap pioneer and one of the original core of Three 6 Mafia, Mitchell’s steady rise as an ambassador of Memphis hip-hop started with her work on Three 6 Mafia's first full-length studio album, "Mystic Stylez," in the mid-'90s. She recorded several albums with the original core of Three 6 Mafia before parting ways with the group after the 2001 release of her second solo album, "Both Worlds *69."

And while her initial success is largely associated with Three 6 Mafia, her solo work held its own. In 1998, she released "Enquiring Minds," which included the hit, "Where Dem Dollars At?!"

All three of her solo albums ranked on R&B charts. A steady stream of mix tapes and collaborations kept her name in play over the span of a career nearly three decades long.

Producer Mickey Wright Jr., known as MeMpHiTz, said Mitchell would want to be remembered as, “stay crunk, stay looking forward, stay looking up. There’s always a better day.”

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She was finally "getting her flowers" before she died and was excited about life and her career, Wright said.

“She in a better place," Wright said. "It’s a celebration. I’m still, still sad. I was just talking to her. At the end of the day this is a celebration of life and that’s gonna help me get through this just like everybody else. It’s a celebration of what she stood for, who she was to us and we’re gonna keep it moving like that.”

The week before her death, Mitchell filmed an unreleased video with fellow Memphian and award-winning producer Drumma Boy, according to a written statement from Echo Hattix of Echoing Soundz.

Mitchell's relevance as one of the first major female rappers representing the South has endured, and she shone a spotlight on other female rappers who followed, including Gloria Woods, better known as GloRilla, the latest Memphis rapper to nab the national spotlight with hits like "F.N.F."

Benymon said she loved Mitchell, from the person who sat at the kitchen table and ate dinners with her family to the person who supported all the children in the family in their educations. If Mitchell couldn't make it to a birthday or graduation, she always called.

“That’s the Lola I knew," Benymon said. "I understand who Gangsta Boo is, but I love Lola.”

Reporter Micaela Watts contributed to this article.

Katherine Burgess covers county government and religion. She can be reached at [email protected] or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Gangsta Boo remembered as 'Queen of Memphis,' pioneering artist