There are many things about Memphis rap that remain shrouded in mystery — and the story of Lady Bee and Kingpin Skinny Pimp is easily one of the most intriguing in the genre’s history.
If you’re unfamiliar, Lady B was a female rapper who released three albums between 1993 and 1994:
Something For The Streets Pt. 1
Something For The Streets Pt. 2
Strictly For That Nigga 3
All three are now considered Memphis underground classics. But while they were originally dropped on cassette in 1994, they’ve been the subject of controversy and speculation for over 30 years.
The Voice Behind the Mic
Long before the internet, fans in Memphis were already skeptical. Rumors swirled that Skinny Pimp — rapper, producer, and Memphis mainstay — may have actually been the voice behind Lady Bee on two of the three albums she released.
It wasn’t just wild theories. The voice, the delivery, and the style on those tapes sounded uncannily like Skinny Pimp — who, for the record, still rapped and produced alongside Lady Bee on all three releases in his signature tongue-twisting style. Some listeners have even suggested that Part 1 itself may not have featured Barbara at all, and could have been recorded entirely by Skinny using her name and a filtered vocal approach to fit the “Lady Bee” persona.
People weren’t just guessing. This theory had roots in real connections — and over time, it only got deeper.
The Skinny Pimp–Lady Bee Connection
Through old forum posts, collectors’ conversations, and deeper digging, fans learned that Skinny Pimp was allegedly married to Lady Bee at one point. Her real name was Barbara, and she was around 30 years old during her short-lived rap career.
Then came the now-famous alleged photo from 1995.
In it, Lady Bee (Barbara) is seen advertising her local store. Her name is right there in plain sight — but the real kicker? Her license plate reads: “DIVORCE.”
That one image seemed to confirm to fans that something did indeed go down between her and Skinny. And it only added fuel to the theory that he may have taken over her music career once they split.
When the Internet Got Involved
Once these tapes started surfacing online, the speculation went from rumor to reality fast. Fans began experimenting with pitch effects, slowing down and readjusting Lady B’s vocals on her second and third albums. What they discovered was shocking: when you pitch her voice down, it sounds exactly like her former husband, Skinny Pimp. This led many to believe that while Lady Bee likely recorded Something For The Streets Pt. 1 herself, there’s also a strong possibility that even that first release may have featured Skinny heavily — or that he recorded it entirely, using pitched-up or filtered vocals to match her tone — long before continuing the concept through the next two tapes. In my opinion, I think all three of these albums were likely recorded by Skinny Pimp himself, with Lady Bee only being a selling or marketing point.
After their breakup, Skinny likely finished the later albums himself, continuing the same vocal approach and releasing them under her name to keep the brand alive. It’s possible that Skinny had already started working on Part 2 while they were still together. Once the relationship fell apart, he may have erased her verses, finished the tape solo, and released it under her name — maintaining the buzz surrounding Lady Bee at the time.
Then came Strictly For That Nigga 3, which pushed this concept even further. Skinny didn’t just imitate Lady Bee’s voice — he went all in. On these later tapes, he recorded tracks with titles like “Where The Big Dicks At,” fully committing to the woman persona.
Whatever his motivation was — whether it was money, spite, or artistic experimentation — it worked. The tapes sold locally and are still very sought after today. I think such a thing even inspired other artists.
For example, Cedar Rapids, Iowa rapper and producer Evil Pimp would later develop multiple alter egos, most famously StanMan — a pitched-up, younger, more evil version of himself. The concept is definitely similar to what Skinny did with Lady Bee, and knowing where Evil Pimp drew much of his inspiration from, this idea is not completely out of the picture.
Legacy Over Logic
Even knowing all this, the mystique of Lady Bee still holds up.
Whether it was actually Barbara or Skinny behind the mic, the aesthetic, the sound, and the impact of those tapes are undeniable. The fact that fans still bump those albums today — myself included — is a testament to the raw creativity that came out of Memphis in that era.
No matter how it was made, the Lady Bee trilogy is a part of Memphis rap history. And so is the strange, possibly genre-bending move that Skinny Pimp pulled off — one that might just be one of the most legendary underground plays the city has ever seen.
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