Lola Mitchell was born on August 7, 1979 in Memphis, TN. She grew up in a musical household in the Coro Lake neighborhood, and she remembers her parents constantly singing along to their record player. Mitchell wrote poems often, and she began rapping at age nine after receiving a karaoke machine for her birthday. A few years later, she would be delivering verses on platinum albums as the first female rapper from Memphis.
While at Hillcrest High School, Mitchell made a name for herself rapping at talent shows and caught the attention of DJ Paul. At fifteen, she became the first and only female member of Three Six Mafia when she signed to Prophet Entertainment, which was owned by DJ Paul and Juicy J. She remembers recording the first song she did with the group, “Cheefa Da Reefa,” in a closet. A few years later, her success in Three Six pushed her to strike out on her own, and she released her debut solo album, Enquiring Minds, which contained her hit “Where Dem Dollas At?” In 2001, Before releasing her second album, Mitchell officially left Three Six for a myriad of issues, including insufficient payment. By the age of 21, she had traveled constantly, been thrown into national attention, and had a come-to-Jesus moment about the life she was living.
In search for some positivity and meaning after life on the road with Three Six, Mitchell decided she wanted to find her spirituality. She changed her stage name to “Lady Boo” and strived to keep all of her songs completely clean. During the time following her break from Three Six, she experienced a falling out with some of the fans of the group, who she said would describe her as “washed up” and would criticize producers for working with her. However, this did not phase Mitchell, and she continued to put out mixtapes with Drumma Boy. She briefly reunited with four other members of Three Six Mafia in 2013 to record a mixtape and tour. Mitchell left the group a few months after Lord Infamous passed away in December of 2013. She continues to have a cult following, and most recently worked with Dev Hynes on the most recent Blood Orange album, Angel’s Pulse.
Mitchell is active in the Memphis community, working with organizations that tackle issues she is passionate about, like domestic violence and gun violence. She also enjoys telling her story to women as a means of encouragement.
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Gangsta Boo Interview with Complex Magazine 2014
Gangsta Boo Interview with Memphis Flyer 2013