Detroit rapper Boss, pioneering female gangsta rapper, dies at 54

Lichelle Laws, the Detroit rapper known as Boss and one of hip-hop's first female gangsta rappers, died Monday at Ascension Providence Hospital in Southfield due to kidney failure, according to a family spokesperson. She was 54.

In the 1990s, Laws was signed to DJ West, the West Coast-based offshoot of Russell Simmons' Def Jam Recordings, where she was the label's first female signee. Her 1993 single "Deeper," which opens with an interpolation of Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge," showcased her gruff-edged style as well as her knack with a pop hook.

Its video, in which she's filmed rapping behind bars and also while in a straight jacket, was a staple in its day on "Yo! MTV Raps" and BET's "Rap City." The single spent three weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Rap Songs chart.

Laws grew up on Detroit's west side and attended high school at St. Mary's of Redford before taking classes for two years at Oakland University. She was writing her own rhymes and dreamed of a rap career, but not finding any opportunities in Detroit, she fled to New York, and later to Los Angeles, where she struggled to make ends meet.

"It was hard. We didn't have any place to stay. We ran out of money and had to sell dope," she told The Detroit News in 1992. "I'm not proud of it, but it was a matter of survival."

In L.A., Laws befriended DJ Quik, who introduced her to rappers AMG, 2nd II None and the Penthouse Players Clique. She rapped on "Mai Sista Izza B----," a duet with AMG which was included on his 1991 debut album, "B---- Betta Have My Money."

She also appeared on "One Nation," a track on St. Louis rapper Sylk Smoov's debut album, as well as the soundtrack to the Detroit-filmed "Zebrahead," alongside artists such as MC Serch, Flint's MC Breed and a young Nas, still known at the time as Nasty Nas.

"Born Gangstaz," the debut album from Boss — often written with two dollar signs in the name, Bo$$ was technically a collaboration between Laws and her DJ, Irene 'Dee' Moore — was released in May 1993. It featured production by Def Jef, Jam Master Jay and Erick Sermon, along with cameos from Onyx, AMG and Laws' parents, Lillie and Joe. It sold nearly 400,000 copies and also spun off the singles "Recipe of a Hoe" and "Progress of Elimination."

The album was "foul enough to make even Ice Cube blush," Entertainment Weekly wrote in an A- review. "Packed with drive-by shootings, drug deals, and feelings of paranoia, 'Born Gangstaz' works because (its) lyrics hover between celebration, regret, and horror."

There was no follow-up. In 1994, Laws was the subject of a Wall Street Journal article that called her gangsta bonafides into question, even though the story's supposed revelations — that she grew up in a middle class home, studied ballet and was a cheerleader — were subjects she was open about. But the piece hurt her hardcore image, and she was eventually dropped by Def Jam.

Laws moved to Texas and worked at a radio station, but when her health started to decline, she returned home to Michigan. She had kidney problems and was diagnosed with renal disease, and in 2017 she suffered a stroke. A 2021 GoFundMe, which was initiated to assist with her medical bills, raised nearly $18,000.

A public memorial will be held March 23 in Detroit at a location TBA, a family spokesperson said on Tuesday. A GoFundMe has been set up for donations.

News of her passing, which was shared Monday by Houston rapper Bun B, prompted tributes from members of the hip-hop community.

"Rest in peace to my big sis Lichelle Laws AKA Boss. One of the best female MCs and a dear friend," Bun B wrote on Instagram.

"She will never be forgotten and will live in our hearts forever," Kurtis Blow wrote on Instagram.

"My hope is that many of you who don't know her music will listen now, the same way many of you started to listen to artist like Nipsey Hussle and Pop Smoke after they died," MC Serch wrote on Instagram. "She is worth your time and she is worth the effort. Rest in peace."

agraham@detroitnews.com