“We ain’t got no time to stop / the charts need us,” Doechii sings in her hit single, “DENIAL IS A RIVER,” and she sure did prove that at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. On February 2, 2025, Doechii won Best Rap Album at the esteemed award ceremony for her debut album “Alligator Bites Never Heal”. In her acceptance speech, she revealed a surprising piece of Grammy history: she is the third woman to win in the category of Best Rap Album.
Despite beginning in the 1970s, rap as a genre was not recognized at the Grammys until 1989 when the category Best Rap Performance was introduced. Previously, rap artists, like Run DMC, were recognized under the R&B genre. In 1996, at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards, “Best Rap Album” debuted. Since its debut, only three albums by women have won: Lauryn Hill’s “The Score” (1996), Cardi B’s “Invasion of Privacy” (2018), and now Doechii’s “Alligator Bites Never Heal” (2024).
Significantly, Cardi B, the last woman to win the category, announced Doechii’s win, welcoming her to the club. In her heartfelt acceptance speech, Doechii spoke on her sobriety, credited the women who came before her, and sent her listeners—both old and new—some inspiration: “I know that there is some Black girl out there, so many Black women out there that are watching me out there, and I want to tell you: you can do it. Anything is possible… Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you that tell you you can’t be here, that you’re too dark, or that you’re not smart enough, or that you’re too dramatic, or you’re too loud. You’re exactly who you need to be.”
Doechii’s Grammys success is just one of many from that night that made history. Beyonce, the record holder for the most Grammys, finally took home the award for Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter (2024), making her the first Black woman in over three decades to win the category. Prior to the most recent ceremony, only three Black women earned the same award: Ella Fitzgerald in 1959, Roberta Flack in 1974, and Natalie Cole in 1992. Kendrick Lamar also dominated the ceremony with his diss track “Not Like Us,” which won Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Best Rap Song, Best Music Video, and Best Rap Performance. This year’s Grammys truly highlighted the value of Black contributions to music and culture, as well as the importance of sharing Black stories.
“This is for female rap… I am representing something. Women have something to say.”
– Doechii
DOECHII Interview | 2025 GRAMMYs
As for now, Doechii has no plans of slowing down. Less than 24 hours after the win, she released a single, “Nosebleeds,” for streaming. The song opens with a sample from “DENIAL IS A RIVER,” a single off of “Alligator Bites Never Heal” (which is also the song that played as she walked to the stage to accept her award). As it continues, Doechii reflects on her recent Grammys win and speech, singing: “‘Will she ever lose?’ Man, I guess we’ll never know” and “Right now is my time and my moment / Thank you to my swamp and thank you, God, I was broke.” Doechii’s win was symbolic in a lot of ways. Not only was she the third woman to win Best Rap Album, but she also proved that today, there is room for women and their experiences in the genre. From relationships to struggles with her sobriety, Doechii shared her story of what it’s like to be living as a Black woman today; her win shows that there is importance to sharing and acknowledging these unique experiences. Whether you’re an OG listener or this is the first time you’ve heard her name, Doechii and her undeniable talent have established her as someone to watch out for in the world of music. She’s proved that the charts do need her, and she is going to continue to deliver.