Introduction
First off, I must say that this is perhaps my favorite title for an album that has been released this year! I have been waiting for a full Doechii project ever since around 2020 when I first heard of her joining the TDE roster. If you read my Drake and Kendrick piece, you will know that I have been a long-time fan of Kendrick, who subsequently led me to discover the rest of TDE’s talented rap roster like Jay Rock, Isaiah Rashad, Ab-Soul, and Schoolboy Q.
Due to performances like her XXL Freshman Freestyle in 2022, or her amazing feature on Smino’s album “Luv 4 Rent” that came out that same year, she quickly grew my anticipation to see what a fully realized project would be for her. She gave me a very Tierra Whack type energy, full of breathless flows, animated voice, and witty bars, and with a beautiful voice to top it all off.
Even with the recent years seeing a greater diversity in the pool of rappers in recent years, it is still very much a heavily male-dominated genre, and as such, the business of rap typically isn’t too receptive to women who don’t lead with an aspect of their persona that caters either to violence like Remy Ma, or to sexuality, like most mainstream women rappers you probably know. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, just listen to what Rapsody has been yelling out these past years. And if you don’t know who Rapsody is, then my point is proven regardless.
Doechii has been able to navigate this delicate space without leaning too hard into either of these aspects of her identity. She has sexual bars and music videos where she is straight-up naked at times, but despite this, she has been able to express her sexuality without that becoming a marker of her brand or identity. She has a distinctly aggressive tone on some of her rap tracks that take her i.e. Nicki Minaj’s alter ego, Roman.
Doechii is real. And I don’t mean in an overblown, fanciful way. You can see the amount of money behind her that ensures that the beautiful image we see of Doechii is the work of a very talented PR team. Regardless of this, Doechii puts a lot of her personal self and personality into this introductory mixtape, giving not only a dynamic personality to connect with but one that is able to offer personal aspects of her life that connect to her audience.
Talking about marketing though, I have seen a lot of publications compare her to Kendrick Lamar, including her own label owner, and I just want to say for the sake of both their artistic identities, they are very different in almost every aspect, rap styles, subject matter, beat selection, I could go on. I do think that she is one of the more exciting rappers to enter the game in a long time when it comes to a full-packaged superstar, and with her coming out under TDE, it isn’t surprising to hear the connection made.
I really enjoy the world and atmosphere that Doechii creates with this album. From the title and gorgeous album cover to heavy southern bass hits and twangy guitar chords on songs like BULLFROG and CATFISH that compliment her aggressive and lyrical rap style so well, and even the track titles leaning into its swampy aesthetic, making its identity so much more tactile. And speaking of which, Doechii be keeppin dem mufuckin’ bars on her! Full of captivating lines and punchlines that are both catchy and clever.
Doechii’s confidence comes through clearly throughout the entire album, from the way the production centers voice on her rap songs. Skeletal beats like Boiled Peanuts remind me of something the RZA woulda cooked up for the Wu Tang Clan, and her unhinged laughter is reminiscent of ODB. The talent, hard work, and versatility that she displays on this mixtape are impressive! This album is a gorgeous blend of rap and R&B, and it only contains a single feature, and one of less renown than her at that. Things like her breathing at the end of DENIAL IS A RIVER show me that she is open to making dynamic choices on tracks.
Review
STANKA POOH
This is such a good intro track because the hypnotic instrumental feels almost as if you are being submerged beneath the water, entering the swamp-world of this album. Doechii’s whispery tone comes through clearly but makes the listener tune in closer to her voice and words as she introduces herself with a wave of punchlines, clever double-entendres, and storytelling.
BULLFROG
This immediately goes from the spacy and relaxed beat from the first track into this punchy, ear-catching second track with a strolling baseline that Doechii confidently rides with a relaxed and arrogant poise. Definitely one of my favorites!
BOILED PEANUTS
The beat on this track has such a classic feel to it, more akin to something you would hear Dougie Fresh or Ol’ Dirty Bastard rap over in the 90s than something you would expect from a freshman hip-hop act in 2024, but man was it refreshing to hear! I recently wished aloud for beatboxing and scratching to make a resurgence in rap, and it looks like Doechii might give me hope of that happening. Doechii’s storytelling on this track is entertaining and her willingness to incorporate her voice to add character to the instrumental makes me appreciate her attention to detail.
DENIAL IS A RIVER
On this track Doechii really displays her vocal character and storytelling ability by telling stories of her life over the recent few years through a simulated conversation with an alternate version of herself. Doechii’s robust personality is the most displayed on this track, and it also gives a glimpse to her versatility when it comes to the way she can approach a song.
CATFISH
This track stars another heavy baseline, ornamented with eerie background whistles and sounds that marries perfectly with Doechii’s nefarious tone and hungry flow. This is a track full of beautiful imagery and lyrical flourish that makes it a joy to play again and again, and I can’t get enough of her Harley Quinn cackle!
SKIPP
The tone of Doechii’s voice on the hook of this track reminds me of Erykah Badu, and besides is just very reminiscent of the neo-soul sound of the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Doechii’s confident foray into R&B after her impressive rapping performances immediately gave me hints of Lauryn Hill and her clear love of Neo-Soul makes me excited to hear what she might come out with in a similar vein as she develops more artistically.
BLOOM & WAIT
BLOOM is a short but beautiful, almost interlude, that covers the idea of Doechii’s struggle with developing herself as an artist and person, and trying to time to balance the important things in her life as she embarks on the road to success. WAIT develops this idea further by going into detail about all the demands and distractions that Doechii is inundated with on her journey, and her attempts at managing them.
DEATH ROLL
Though both the instrumental and Doechii’s tone on this track are fairly laidback, the base hits and sour guitar lines make a dazzling backdrop, that highlights Doechii’s captivating voice and flow. The song title refers to a killing technique used by alligators on their prey, and on it, Doechii explores some of the bumps and bruises she accrued over her career so far and highlights how her attitude, mettle, and talent continue to carry her through.
BOOM BAP
If you didn’t already know that Doechii wants to be recognized for her lyrical ability, this song makes that statement unavoidable. She talks about her struggle to develop herself both as a rapper and singer in the face of the world’s demand of what they expect her art to be. Beyond that though, it also shows her determination to not be boxed in artistically, exemplified by her screaming ‘I’M EVERYTHING!” at one point.
NISSAN ULTIMA
While the previous song sounded like a quick, tongue-in-cheek track to assert herself as a lyrical, and also much more than that, this song is a rapid heart-thumping, ass-shaking, shoulder-shimmying display of that statement, that sees Doechii sporting a relentless flow that dances all over the beat!
ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL
I really liked this as an outro to the album because it is gorgeous and angelic, and much as the first track felt like being submerged into the world of this album, this track feels like waking up from the dream of that world. It’s ethereal and flowy and seems like what would play as one rides away into the sunset after a long day in the swamp.
Conclusion
There are more tracks I could speak on, but I think these give the best idea of the content, approach, and sound of this album. This album is an impressive introduction to Doechii and one that makes me extremely excited to see not only her next steps but the evolution of her career as a whole! ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL was actually nominated for a Grammy for rap album of the year, and personally, I wouldn’t be mad if it won (even though I highly doubt it will) against the other albums in its category. Great job, and even though she is from Florida, this is definitely another huge West Coast moment this year.
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