Boog the Bandit, aka Courtney Nicole Bruce, has been gunned down in Columbus, Ohio. As per reports from various sources, the up and coming rapper made it to the hospital where she succumbed to her wounds.

It goes without saying that this is horrific news. Combined with the multiple shooting deaths of other young LBGT+ female rappers, the loss of BOOG is a reminder of taking advantage of the moment. Her Facebook profile boasts not only her artistry, but her passion for learning and her snarky humor. She graduated from Walnut Ridge High School in 2012 and studied Criminal Justice at Columbia State Community College.

She claimed “I am my own best product”, a mantra that coincides with her favorite quote “trample the weak, hurdle the dead.” Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead is the fourth studio album by American death metal band Skinless. Skinless formed in 1992, in upstate New York, and framed their records as ironic takes on society and culture. This influence can be heard in Boog’s recent tunes “Hot Topic”, “Heart Away” and “Risky” where she discusses the common thematic issues of life and love. Infusing Hip Hop and R&B styles, she captured a new flavor with classic sounds and an articulation of language we have been missing in contemporary rap. Boog filters her approach through the lens of the outsider archetype who finds a way to speak their truth in a world that questions their right to exist freely.

As a musical artist and burgeoning model, Boog was fashioning a life of creative expression.

“Omens in tank tread impressions
Intentional conflict was kindled
Without insult or injury
To cull this human flood
All you have to do is breathe
The solution is faultless
A truth upon which we can all agree
Trample the weak
Hurdle the dead
Released into the atmosphere
The sky is rotten left
Choke on the isolation
Infection reflected”

Lyrics from “Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead” by Skinless

And in the word of poet June Jordan “some of you, some of us, despite that hatred that violence that murder that suicide that affront to our notions of civilized days and nights. And what shall we do, we who did not die?” From Some of Us Did Not Die.

Rest in Power 🙏🏽