It was in the late ‘90s when I first heard of rapper Gangsta Boo, a member of Memphis, Tennessee hip hop collective Three 6 Mafia. The juxtaposition of my religious views and appreciation for a rap group that glorified satanic ideology wasn’t a new phenomenon to me.
During high school, after I’d been baptized and actively participated in religious worship twice per week, I also spent a significant amount of time with gang members. On one occasion, a gangbanger friend of mine smoked marijuana in front of me from pages of the King James Bible.
In any case, I justified my ideological inconsistent behavior to a degree with which I was comfortable praying throughout the day while also listening to Three 6 Mafia songs in between prayers. Having since abandoned my religious faith, I still enjoy music of Gangsta Boo.
Regarding the artist, one source reports, “Former Three 6 Mafia rapper Gangsta Boo died of an accidental overdose, according to a report by Fox 13. The Memphis artist (born Lola Mitchell) had fentanyl, cocaine, and alcohol in her system when she was found dead at her home in January [2023].”
Dead at 43-years-old, apparently from polysubstance abuse, a song from the artist’s 2001 album Both Worlds *69 comes to mind. On the chorus of the track “Victim of Yo’ Own Shit,” Gangsta Boo states:
You gon’ be a victim of yo’ own shit
Ridin’ wit’ ‘dem niggas on ‘dat funk, put you in a ditch
Messin’ wit’ miss lady, gonna’ have you missin’ all yo’ teeth
Crazy lady comin’, gunnin’ bitches tryin’ to fuck wit’ me
The song samples horror-style music of Fabio Frizzi, Franco Bixio, and Vincenzo Tempera’s “7 Note in Nero” and the chorus describes the concept of causality. Regarding this idea, one source states:
Causality is an influence by which one event, process, state, or object (a cause) contributes to the production of another event, process, state, or object (an effect) where the cause is partly responsible for the effect, and the effect is partly dependent on the cause.
In general, a process has many causes, which are also said to be causal factors for it, and all lie in its past. An effect can in turn be a cause of, or causal factor for, many other effects, which all lie in its future.
During the late ‘90s, I ignorantly believed that all cause-and-effect relationships could adequately explain why a person would commit specific actions, such as Gangsta Boo’s declaration of causality regarding people behaving one way (cause) and experiencing her wrath (effect).
However, I didn’t know of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) at that time in my life. Thus, I view the matter differently now. For context, a person who’s a victim of one’s own shit describes the experience of an individual suffering the consequences of one’s own actions.
REBT theory uses the ABC model to illustrate how when Activating events (“Actions”) occur and people maintain irrational Beliefs about the events, these unhelpful assumptions – and not the actual occurrences – are what create unpleasant cognitive, emotive, bodily sensation, and behavioral Consequences.
In particular, there are four predominate irrational beliefs which people use: demandingness, awfulizing, low frustration tolerance, and global evaluations. Addressing these, the ABC model incorporates Disputation of unhelpful assumptions in order to explore Effective new beliefs.
From a psychological standpoint, people disturb themselves using a Belief-Consequence (B-C) connection. Of course, this isn’t to suggest that in the context of the naturalistic or physical world there is no Action-Consequence (A-C) connection.
As an example, if person X disrespected Gangsta Boo (Action), person X may’ve died a violent death as a result (Consequence). However, this form of causality isn’t as simple as a cause-and-effect homicide that fulfills the foundation of an A-C connection.
Rather, if person X disrespected Gangsta Boo (Action) and the rapper unhelpfully Believed, “People must respect me or otherwise suffer revenge,” it’s this sort of unfavorable assumption that causes anger and may’ve resulted in behavior associated with person X’s death (Consequence).
Using REBT, I help people to stop upsetting themselves through use of B-C connections, though I can’t fully resolve their A-C connections. For instance, there’s one irreversible A-C connection with which I can’t currently intervene.
Gangsta Boo was ostensibly a victim of her own shit, having died from apparent polysubstance abuse. This is an accurate portrayal of the A-C connection over which I have no control or influence. I can’t resurrect dead people, as the rapper reportedly suffered the consequences of her own actions.
Interestingly, since the ‘90s, I’ve been comfortable associating with people who experience anger, rage, hostility, and aggression. Furthermore, I’m unbothered by those individuals who resort to violence from B-C connections – the actual source of causality for their behavior.
Rather than viewing these people as bad, evil, sinful, or broken individuals, I merely consider them fallible human beings – much as I’m an imperfect being. Moreover, I’m no stranger to having taken part in violent behavior of my own. Of this, I’m not proud.
Thankfully, once I learned of REBT and began frequent practice of this psychotherapeutic modality, I’m no longer a victim of my own shit – suffering the causality of a B-C connection. This doesn’t mean that I don’t make mistakes or that I’m never angry.
Rather, I self-disturb far less and disallow myself from committing acts of homicidal violence. Unfortunately, I couldn’t influence my gangbanger friends of yesteryear, some of whom died from acts of violence and others who remain incarcerated to this day in regard to violence.
I didn’t know what I didn’t know back then. Nevertheless, since learning of REBT, I’ve attempted to help many people not to become victims of their own shit. If you’d like to know more about how to disrupt B-C causality of this sort and improve your life, I’m here to help.
If you’re looking for a provider who works to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As the world’s foremost old school hip hop REBT psychotherapist, I’m pleased to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply helping you to feel better, I want to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
Bixio Music Group ltd – ASCAP. (2017, April 13). Sette Note - single version side A • Fabio Frizzi, Franco Bixio, Vincenzo Tempera [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/5BJ88ZoR_xM?si=2XYF7UKxP2vcL2ZS
Discogs. (n.d.). Bixio, Frizzi & Tempera. Retrieved from https://www.discogs.com/artist/125379-Bixio-Frizzi-Tempera
Garcia, T. (2023, June 15). Gangsta Boo’s cause of death revealed. Variety. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2023/music/news/gangsta-boo-cause-of-death-revealed-1235645355/
Hollings, D. (2022, May 17). Circle of concern. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/circle-of-concern
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OfficialGangstaBoo. (2010, January 27). Gangsta Boo - Victim of Yo Own Shit [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/aHCtqeOunhM?si=cOfRY3hIjw_SAA4R
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