Boss - Progress Of Elimination

What this video is

Released in 1993, 'Progress of Elimination' belongs to one of hip-hop's most critically dense years. Boss (Lichelle Laws) was signed to DJ West, Def Jam's West Coast sub-label, where she was the label's first female signee. Her debut album Born Gangstaz peaked at #3 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The track thematically addressed survival in a low-income neighborhood from the perspective of a Black…

Why it matters

This video is a primary document of early-1990s female gangsta rap's visual codification. Boss was among the first women to fully inhabit the hardcore gangsta rap persona in both lyrical content and music video aesthetics, making this clip a significant artifact for understanding how gender…