Doechii has dropped what might be the most authentic and entertaining rap project of the year.
“Alligator Bites Never Heal” is the newest project from 26-year-old Doechii (whose real name is Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon), and — as the title implies — she’s taking a major bite out of anyone who has doubted her abilities as a performer and lyricist. Even better, she does it with no regard for what will be left of the listener once she's done or what the industry might think when it drops.
Over the mixtape’s 19 songs, Doechii’s persona becomes three dimensional, ascending past the vapid conversations about what rap is and what it has to be, and instead focusing on processing the world around her in a way that make sense. But longtime fans would know that creativity and boldness are nothing new for the artist, and neither is intentionality. Earlier this year when speaking to fellow Florida-born rapper JT for Interview Magazine, Doechii was candid about the matter, saying “As far as boxes and shit, I don’t do that. I jump from genre to genre. I’ll be making a rock song, then I make a pop song, then I make this, that and the third … It’s a balance.”
She’s also not afraid to admit (on your behalf) that people might not get how she moves through genres and sounds — like an alligator in water. Even her label doesn’t get it: She describes it on the satirical “Boop Bap,” rapping “I just can’t sang a little bit? I mean that shit was a hit!” in reference to her platinum song “What It Is.”
But moments like these, ones full of braggadocious behavior (notably on songs like “BULLFROG” and “CATFISH”), they come and go. The lasting power of the mixtape is its dedication to balancing the scales between the “good” and “bad” present in the last few years of her life.
This balancing act is present most clearly on track four’s “DENIAL IS A RIVER,” where Doechii speaks to a therapized version of herself who is attempting to coach her through the various addictions that have found their way into her life, even as the artist feel she doesn't have a problem with her relationships. As the voice inside of her begins the uphill battle that is sobriety, she fails to begin a breathing exercise, and it results in a panic attack. While the subject matter is undoubtedly heavy, the song itself is clearly playful, with her alter ego’s voice being clearly pitched to sound like she’s pestering herself.
In additional tracks like “HIDE N SEEK,” the listener finds Doechii at a crossroads. Does she want to hide from those around her or be sought out? She explains that monetary gains are always a source of temptation, and asks what we should strive for: a transaction or genuine relationship? Difficulties with relationships to those around you and even to yourself are also recurring themes on the album. As she describes in “BLOOM”, “I'm constantly trying to remember, like, okay / You have to chase your goals, but you gotta check in with your mom / And you gotta make sure your sisters are okay / You gotta make sure your bills are paid, but you gotta make sure you have fun and time for you, time for your friends / And like, I just constantly feel like I'm neglecting parts of my life.“
Even with the heavy subject matter, keeping the album upbeat is not a problem for Doechii, with songs like “NISSAN ALTIMA,” “SLIDE” (feeling reminiscent of this summer’s “Alter Ego” featuring JT) and “WAIT” (providing R&B fans something to turn up on their next drive).
What remains impressive is the way that these themes, messages and sounds are all seamlessly transitioned between on this body of work, which won’t surprise longtime viewers of “Swamp Sessions” — a weekly segment on Instagram where Doechii has to create an entirely new song and perform it for live viewers. The practice shows, as each song sounds like a piece of a puzzle she has access to. The result is what could possibly be 2024’s most innovative and risk-taking rap album.
Even if you‘re unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of her alligator’s bite, it won’t matter — not to her at least. While you‘re tending to wounds, she‘s tending to her pen and already one verse ahead of everyone else.
