Hip hop has been waiting for the emergence of a new superhero. The creative and lyrical fatigue of the last few years has helped to pedestal the usual suspects that always deliver, such as the Kanyes, Kendricks, Drakes, and J. Coles, and a few rarities that have surfaced out of what seems nowhere, as standout talent.
The dry spell has also birthed a renaissance, as dubbed by Beyonce, of female rappers, finally giving hip hop listeners more than one or two women to choose from per era. Thank goodness, because the days of only having two options for every region and then being persuaded to pit one against the other may just be a thing of the past.
There’s a tidal wave happening, and in it lies a florescent rainbow of many colors where entertainers are embracing genre-blending, lyrical versatility, and cadence switching. Artists are dabbling in EDM, Afrobeats, house, and drill music. The R&B singers are rapping, and rappers are singing.
Which brings me to Doechii, the 23-year-old Top Dawg Ent. artist that eats rappers for breakfast. That might be a little aggressive for a time where ultra-sensitivity and political correctness can evoke a s**t storm of criticism and cancellation, but it is what it is. The chocolate-skinned, brainy beauty hailing from Tampa, Florida is more than a lace front and a sizable gluteus maximus.
Fairly new to the mainstream scene — her IG shows 264K-plus followers, while her monthly listeners on Spotify is a solid 3.4M to date — her latest album entry, she / her / black b**ch, has the same effect of the girl in the film Carrie knocking pictures off the wall at her ungracious institution of public academia.
Case in point, Doechii’s collaboration with hip hop titan Rico Nasty, “Swamp B**ches,” packs such a powerful punch that the only words to describe how good it is would be ones that traditionally carry negative connotations, such as bad, crazy, ridiculous, nasty, and disgusting. Both artists rip through the bass heavy beat, flowing effortlessly over electric guitar riffing and drum variations.
The lyrics that they so easily bounce off of each other are anything but humble, unapologetically going straight for the jugular. “Swamp B**ches” serves its purpose on the five-track EP, showcasing two talents that can very well be leaders of the new school.
By the time listeners get to the other tracks, a theme will be established, tying in the title of the EP. Doechii’s favorite word on the project is b**ch, and it’s all about defining her own identity and her own pronouns.
“Many times, I’ve been referred to as a b**ch as a way to gaslight me out of certain spaces — something I think many people can relate to in one way or another,” Doechii said in an interview. “So, I decided to take ownership of the Black b**ch and title my EP she/ her/ black b**ch and reclaim that motherf****** power.”
“B**ch I’m Nice,” a braggadocious hit single from her debut with TDE, sits pretty at less than two minutes using the distinctive Florida sound and demonstrates that she, too, can be on trend. She collaborates on the introspective “B**ches Be” with Jst Ray, playing with the flexibility of range as she displays her singing ability over a R&B influenced production.
The chill vibe spills over on track four, “This B**ch Matters,” produced by Hit-Boy. Cooly referencing the times, Doechii appears to be describing the state and outlook of the wandering youth, if not herself. The overall message seems to be that even with flaws, the person still matters — and probably needs a hug.
The EP wraps with the leading single, “Persuasive,” featuring SZA. A pure hip pop, dance track that solidifies Doechii’s manifesto of self-love and acceptance — and fascination for cannabis.
Listen To The EP Below:
Born Jaylah Hickman, Doechii has been consistently putting in work, first rising on the scene via SoundCloud with her first recording, “Girls,” in 2016. She followed the single with the back-to-back independent EPs, Coven Music Session, Vol. 1 (2019), Oh the Places You’ll Go (2020), and Bra-Less (2021).
Her single, “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake,” went viral on TikTok in 2021, setting her up for widespread awareness. Her hard work paid off and she was signed to the majors, TDE, under a distribution deal with Capitol Records in 2022.
Since then, she has been featured at the 2022 BET Awards, giving life in a mesmerizing performance of “Persuasive” and “Crazy,” where she left it all on the stage.
Watch Doechii Perform:
Doechii should have made a song titled, “I’m That B**ch,” because not only is she emerging as the newest rap avenger in the scheme of hip hop superheroes, but she might just be the most persuasive salesman in recent times.
Doechii’s she / her / black b**ch is available now on music streamers.
