Boss (rapper)
| Boss/Bo$$ | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Lichelle Laws |
| Born | September 12, 1969 |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active |
1991–1995 2004–present |
| Labels |
Def Jam West, Chaos, Columbia, SME Records (1992–1995) 8055 Records (2004–2006) |
Boss (born Lichelle Laws, August 14, 1969) is an American gangsta rapper from Detroit, Michigan. Her debut album, Born Gangstaz, reached number three on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in 1993. Her name is sometimes stylized as Bo$$.
Born in Detroit, Laws relocated to Los Angeles after graduating high school. Laws was spotted by DJ Quik who stuck her on a track with AMG. Russell Simmons liked the track and promptly signed her to Def Jam West.[1] Her debut album Born Gangstaz was released in 1993,[2] and the singles, "Deeper" and "Recipe for a Hoe", hit number one on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart.[3]
Laws' fledgling career took a major blow in 1994 when she was interviewed by a reporter from The Wall Street Journal. The reporter revealed that she grew up in an upper-middle-class family and attended private school.[4][5]
In the mid-1990s, she moved to Dallas, Texas, and went on to be a radio DJ. In 2001, she collaborated with Krayzie Bone on his album Thug On Da Line. In 2004, she released a mixtape titled The Six Million Dollar Mixtape produced by Def Jef.[6]
It was revealed in May 2011 that Laws is in need of a kidney due to her suffering from renal disease, a disease that rendered her kidneys useless for processing toxins in her body. Laws reached out to the Facebook community for a potential donor. A donor is yet to be found.[7]
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | ||
| 1993 | Born Gangstaz | 22 | 3 |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot 100 | R&B | Rap | Dance | Born Gangstaz | ||
| 1993 | "Deeper" | 65 | 28 | 1 | 25 | |
| "Recipe of a Hoe" | 118[A] | 73 | 1 | 29 | ||
Songs in soundtracks
Boss' song "I Don't Give A Fuck" featured as the Closing Credits song of the episode "Lesbian Request Denied" from Season 1 of the Netflix TV show Orange Is the New Black.[8]
References
- ↑ Smith, Brian. "Music: Same as the old Boss". Metro Times. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
- ↑ Andy Kellman. "Born Gangstaz". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20140524051911/http://www.billboard.com/charts/1993-04-24/rap-song. Archived from the original on May 24, 2014. Retrieved May 27, 2013. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ↑ Smith, Brian. "Music: Same as the old Boss". Metro Times. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
- ↑ "Pants On Fire: Hip-Hop's Most Exposed Liars". Complex. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
- ↑ Jost, Matt (30 November 2004). "The Six Million Dollar Mixtape Review". RapReviews.com. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
- ↑ Steven. "Rapper Bo$$ In Need Of Kidney Transplant". Hip Hop DX. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
- ↑ "Orange is the New Black Music - Season 1: "Lesbian Request Denied" - TuneFind". TuneFind.com. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 18 Sep 2014.