By Solé Scott
Editor in Chief
photo | Instagram
“Alligator Bites Never Heal” official cover art.
The sound of Top Dawg Entertainment is still alive and thriving, as musical artist Doechii reminds the world that she is more than just a hip-hop artist.
Jaylah Ji’mya Hickmon, known professionally as Doechii, was born in 1998 in Tampa, Florida.
Doechii rose to prominence in 2021 thanks to TikTok, where her song “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” from her first EP went viral.
The success of TikTok helped her sign with Top Dawg Entertainment that same year and released her second EP, “she/her/black bitch” in 2022.
Her first Billboard Hot 100 entry was in 2023 with “What it is (Block Boy),” featuring Kodak Black. The single peaked at No. 29 and has received platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.
Currently, she boasts 1.3 million followers on TikTok, 854,000 followers on Instagram and 10.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
On Aug. 30, Doechii released “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” which consists of 19 songs. This album is the first in her catalogue.
Her album cover that was released on Aug. 30 showcases her sitting down on a chair holding an albino alligator with a dark green background.
Doechii already earned her points from me by including the rare albino alligator on the cover art.
My favorite songs on this album are “NISSAN ALTIMA,” “HIDE N SEEK,” “DEATH ROLL” and “WAIT.”
Pitchfork, an online music publication that specializes in reviews, posted their thoughts. The publication scored the album a solid seven out of 10, which is good, since they score albums extremely critically.
What makes Doechii a star is the genre- bending she has mastered between hip-hop, R&B, pop music and her lyricism.
The genre bending music Doechii produces and releases is the reason why her brand is creative and authentic.
She is inspiring not only to people with ambitions to have a career in music, but also to other onlookers. She is one of the only female rappers that are dark skin in today’s generation of music.
Just recently, she was featured on a song called “I’M HIS, HE’S MINE” with the one and only Katy Perry. This song showcases that she is a force to be reckoned with.
I am excited to see how her career continues to flourish and wish nothing but the best for her as she continues to go mainstream.
Doechii’s upcoming concert shows in the United States will be in November, in Oakland, San Francisco, West Hollywood, Atlanta and Washington D.C.
