Doechii is not just a rapper or singer: "I am everything!" she roars in her song "Boom Bap." Indeed, the tune sums up and refutes the criticism she's faced throughout her career, that she needs to fit into certain boxes to find success.
"In general, my music is about the frustration of 'Why can't you just let me be me?'" says the 26-year-old artist, born Jaylah Hickmon.
"Why can't I be respected as myself, as an individual, as everything? I can rap, trap, rock, pop, and I'm still great and I'm still me and I'm still valuable. I'm just fighting for people to understand me at a time when I felt like they didn't."
That should explain why she's the dominator of the year in Variety's 'Hip-Hop Hitmakers'. The first female rapper signed to 'Top Daëg Entertainment', Doechii has attracted passionate fans with the theatricality and uniqueness of her style.
Her first full-length project, the Alligator Bites Never Heal mixtape, earned three Grammy nominations including Best New Artist and Best Rap Album, the first time a female artist has been honored in the category. with a mixtape format.
Over the past year, she headlined a sold-out tour and delivered a stellar performance with Tyler, The Creator at Camp Flog Gnaë.
Doechii's sudden rise is the culmination of a career heading toward an inflection point. She grew up in Tampa, Florida, making plays for her mother in the living room and creating short films. Writing her own songs became a priority and in September 2020 she became famous on TikTok after her song "Yucky Blucky Fruitcake" went viral.
"Alligator Bites Never Heal" was more than just a career breakthrough—it also marked a turning point in her creative approach. "I woke up one day and said to my label, 'I'm going to make a mixtape,'" she recalls, noting the pressures that come with officially announcing a project as a "debut album."
"I was able to birth this from pure creativity and I think I want to carry that with all my projects and have that mindset going forward."
These projects include her official debut studio album, which she promises will arrive in 2025 and include more instruments. "All I can think about is this album," she says, "so I'm looking forward to making more hits, making more music and achieving more of my goals. That's who I am."
As for the eye-catching stickers that the artist wears next to her eyes, Doechii simply replied that they are a visual element that looks good on her and no doubt caught everyone's attention, which may have been her intentions. the artist.
For those of you who don't know her, you can watch the following Tiny Desk Concert to discover some of the magic of this young and talented artist:
