Doechii took over the industry with her insane stage presence, sound, and artistry this past year. Jaylah Ji’mya Hickmon, otherwise known as Doechii, is an American rapper and songwriter who took the world by storm in 2024 with her album Alligator Bites Never Heal. Doechii has a unique sound, blending old hip-hop styles with her Florida culture to create her songs.
She’s been getting a lot more recognition ever since her feature on the Tyler, the Creator song “Balloon.” She’s not new to the industry, going viral in the past with her infamous TikTok song “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” and other songs such as “What It Is,” “Persuasive ft. SZA,” and her feature on Katy Perry’s “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE.”
Upbringing
Doechii was born in August 1998 in Tampa, Florida, and was raised by parents Celesia Moore and rapper Snatcha Da Boss. Doechii has been performing in front of crowds her entire life, going to her first live audition at six years old. She went to Howard W. Blake High School and grew up performing as a dancerette in a Christian marching band and singing gospel music. “All of my artistic values and training came out of my church,” she said.
Doechii has been on the internet for years, making videos on YouTube since 2015, from covers to storytimes. Five years ago, she posted a video titled “I got fired thank God,” where she shares her plans of going to record labels and studios to ask for internships. After that, she was signed to Capitol Records by Chris Turner and Top Dawg Entertainment in March 2022.
Performances
Something you can always count on Doechii to deliver is a fire performance. Her insane stage presence, breathwork, energy, and backup singers and dancers never fail to create an unforgettable performance. Her performance at Camp Flog Gnaw certainly brought the energy out of a crowd, with SZA coming out as a special guest for their song “Persuasive.” Doechii’s performance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert captivated audiences with the connected dancers’ movements combined with Doechii’s vocals.
The Swamp Princess took over the internet with her jazzy Tiny Desk Concert Performance, playing a majority of songs from her mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal and closing her smooth set with Oh the Places You’ll Go’s “Black Girl Memoir.” She released her “Denial Is A River” music video with a star-studded cast featuring Zack Fox, Rickey Thompson, Earl Sweatshirt, Baby Tate, ScHoolboy Q, Teezo Touchdown, and more. The music video has Doechii starring in her autobiographical sitcom inspired by the 1990s show Family Matters. The video then transitions to present-day Doechii on a talk show set, where she talks about her experiences before the set suddenly blows up.
Awards
Throughout her years, Doechii has been nominated for a variety of awards, from the GRAMMYs, BET Awards, the iHeart Radio Music Awards, and more. She won the Rising Star Award at the Billboard Women In Music Awards 2023.
On Feb. 2, Doechii made history as the third female rapper — after Lauryn Hill and Cardi B — to win the award for Best Rap Album at the 2025 Grammys for her critically acclaimed mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal. Following her historic win, she gave a show-stopping performance of “Catfish” and “Denial is a River,” featuring backup dancers, outfit changes, splits, rising platforms, and even a conveyor belt, leaving the audience star-struck. She came fully prepared for her win, celebrating by dropping a surprise track, “Nosebleeds,” shortly following the win.
Doechii has found her sound with Alligator Bites Never Heal, implementing her culture with raw lyrics and storytelling to create her signature genre-blending style. She has already left an impact in the industry by pushing creative boundaries, and I can’t wait to see where the iconic rapper goes this year and beyond.
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