If you know Doechii, you know that she doesn’t take herself too seriously, but that doesn’t mean she’s not a force to be reckoned with in the rap industry. Her animated delivery and sometimes-raw, sometimes-hilarious lyrics have had her identified as “one to watch” by a number of the greatest rappers alive, and that’s all been achieved without her actually having a full-length album out. Even Doechii’s latest drop, a 19 track offering titled Alligator Bites Never Heal, isn’t an album: despite its length, she’s adamant about calling it a mixtape. But don’t worry, the album's coming next year.
Acclaimed by Kendrick Lamar himself as the “hardest out” right now, Doechii’s far from new to the music world, having opened for Beyoncé and Doja Cat within the past few years; owning the stage at Coachella in 2022; and having a feature on Tyler, the Creator’s latest album, Chromakopia, which it feels like the whole world is talking about. We linked up with Doechii, the Floridian rapper channelling the sounds of the swamp, in Shoreditch today to talk new music, rap icons, horror movies, and more. Here's what went down.
You’ve said your new mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal is like “a diary entry,” because of how real and raw it is. Is everything you talk about on the mixtape fact? Why is honesty so important to you?
“Yes, everything that I talk about on the mixtape is fact. [In think] honesty is important because if you're capping then you’re not gonna be able to connect with people, and connection is so important for influence in hip-hop and music. Even more importantly, though, being honest in your music just makes you feel better. I think that’s the reason why I make music: just to kind of “unpack” things and get further within myself.”
Storytelling is a huge part of your music, and a trope used by some of the biggest names in rap, including Biggie, Slick Rick, Kendrick and more. Aside from yourself, who do you think is the greatest storyteller in rap history?
“The best storyteller in rap? Two come to mind: Outkast, as a group together, and Kendrick Lamar.”
You just appeared as a surprise feature on Tyler, the Creator’s eight studio album, Chromakopia, on the 13th track, “Balloon”. What was it like working with Tyler?
“Tyler is a creative genius, and so I feel so inspired by him and his process. It was incredible and an honour to be a part of this project, and I’m so happy with the way that this all came about.”
Who’s an artist that you’d love to collaborate with next?
“It was Tyler! But that’s already done, so I don’t have nobody else. I really just wanted to collab with Tyler - that’s it and it happened!”
We already know you’re running “swamp” style, giving out awards for the best Alligator Bites Never Heal-themed looks at your shows. What characteristics define the Alligator Bites Never Heal look?
“I think a sense of funkiness, but also timelessness. [And] you have to have the actual elements of the swamp: you have the greenery, but it's also dirty, it's muddy; it's not like some clean fairyland. It's murky. It's luxury but messiness. Trashy luxury.”
I read you have a background in theatre. If you were to launch an acting career, what’s a character you’d love to be cast as and why?
“I want to be cast in a horror movie, and I want to be the villain. I want to be the killer. I don’t want to be the victim; I wanna kill. [It’d be set in like] a swamp cabin. [There's a group of friends and] they’re there for the summer; it's a summer weekend - it’s Spring Break weekend in the swamp, and I kill everybody. BUT I’m [also] one of the friends and nobody knows that it's me, they don’t suspect it's me. Because at one point, even I die… or so they think!”
What do you think rap music is lacking right now?
“I’d say vulnerability. I could use more of that in rap music right now.”
We’ve seen a lot of criticism of “parasocial relationships” and celebrities calling out “overbearing fans” lately. What do you think of that narrative considering you seem extremely close with your own fanbase?
“I’m not at a point in my career where I’m experiencing a lot of [that]. I think that right now I’m at a safe distance with my fans, where I am very vulnerable in my music and I show up pretty vulnerable, but I'm the type of person who likes to bare my soul. I do have a sense of privacy, but I’m also an open book. I’m sure that as my career grows I’ll establish more boundaries, but as of now, I’m baring my soul: [my fans] could tear me apart and I wouldn’t give a f***. I love them.”
We already know Kendrick Lamar called you the “hardest out.” How did hearing that make you feel?
“I feel honoured, because he is one of the greatest rappers. It shows me that I must be doing something right with my skill, and that feels good.”
In “DENIAL IS A RIVER” you rap about “making music for TikTok” - something that a lot of emerging artists have spoken about. Do you think that overall TikTok helps or holds back new artists?
“I think it depends. It is a great tool and it does help artists. I think that a platform can only hinder you if you start to create for an algorithm, instead of creating art. So you can’t blame TikTok; it's really just on you and how you utilise [it]. I don’t think [TikTok] hinders anybody: I think that your art hinders you, and how you create art can hinder you, [especially] if you’re not creating for humans, but you’re creating for a computer.”
What’s a piece of advice you wish you could give your younger self?
“Hmm… I wouldn’t give myself any advice. I’m literally perfect and I ate that, and I did everything correctly, so… Period.”
What’s next for you in music, and in life?
“Album: 2025. Another tour: 2025. And… I have no idea. All I have planned is to create music and to go on tour; whatever happens in between… we’ll see! Hopefully a Grammy nom? Maybe? We’ll see!”
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