The saving power of God is absolute. If you recent need evidence of that, look no further than the former Gangsta Boo.

Lola Mitchell, now aka Lady Boo, has notoriety for her rapper role in one of secular hip hop's most respected —and notoriously raunchy —Dirty South hip hop collectives, Three 6 Mafia. Filled with violent lyrics, vulgar themes and suggestive imagery, albums from the group consistently hit chart top.

As recently as August 2001 the former Gangsta Boo was submerged, and apparently set to continue, in the Three 6 Mafia lifestyle. And yet the following month, September 2001, saw her publicly confess her faith in the Jesus Christ and His saving power.

“I just woke up one morning and changed. It happened overnight literally”, she explained in an interview with GospelFlava.com.

No longer an official member of Three 6 Mafia, Lady Boo has not only changed her name, but confesses to an entire change of life. Her testimony is that God had always had a calling on her life, but that she was running away from Him.

“Nobody forced me to do it,” she explains, speaking of her former penchant for highly suggestive and sexually explicit lyrics. “I just did it because I wanted to. I was comfortable with it. I didn’t have a problem with the lyrics”.

The Holy South

Former Three Mafia 6 member Mr. Del comes delivering the bounce, this time in sanctified style, on Holy South: The Movement. Joining him are W.A.R. Klick, Holy Squadron, Mystic London and Toya Lacey. Several tracks make the neck-brace industry smile, including "Holy South", its remix "Holy Bounce" and "Night Ridaz". Definitely South —certainly clean. Toya Smith's "Ordered Steps" is off the beaten track for the project, with piano and vocals only. The album comes from the Dedicated Music Group.

But Boo goes on to say that over the past years, she frequently was feeling dissatisfied amidst the worldly success of album hits, and often even encountered depression. She would end up praying to God.

And God saw fit to speak to her by way of someone she could relate to, someone who could specifically understand her situation —Mr. Del.

As a former member of Three Mafia 6, but now Gospel hip hop artist (see box review), Mr. Del was strongly supportive and encouraging to Boo in her search for God. The connection was crucial.

“I used to go to church but that was a long time ago when I was little. Now I go to Del’s mother’s church. I like it because I can really feel the Presence there. I also worship at Refuge” [a Memphis-based Christian club run by Mr. Del.]

Boo is intent on continuing in rap game, but is very careful as to her next move. Contrary to expectations perhaps, she is not aiming to becoming a so-called “Gospel rapper”.

“I don’t want to be put into that category. I’m not a Gospel rapper, just a rapper who has found God. I’m cleaning up my lyrics, I don’t want girls thinking they gotta ask men for money. I’m not changing my style —just different lyrics, same flow and everything, I’m just rapping about reality now.”

“All those lyrics I used to do, that’s not like a lady. I don’t want kids to make the same mistakes I made”.

“DJ Paul and Juicy J [still with Three Mafia 6], they think I’m just going through a phase. They think that I’ll ‘get over it’ and be down again.”

The way Boo tells it, that’s not going to happen. Eager to explain her new-found joy to all who will listen, and touring with Mr. Del to do just that, we have not heard the last of Lady Boo.