Rapper Doechii sits poised against a regal green background, dressed in brown, white and lighter shades of green. Beaded cornrows flow past her shoulders with an albino alligator perched on her lap, an homage to her Florida roots. A line from the Doechii’s Spotify bio reads “Did you expect anything less?”
Before hearing a note or a word, the album cover of “Alligator Bites Never Heal” alone emanates a confident, menacing aura.
This is one of the few no-skip albums I have heard in my life. The lyrics are very raw; the rap sounds like it’s coming straight from her heart and ricocheting off the mic.
The first five songs of the album are aggressive with punchy rhyme schemes. Then, Doechii transitions into more melodic songs during which she showcases her vocal abilities.
There are some experimental tracks on the album, like “Huh!” and “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” the titular track that was a little underwhelming. There are also some fun, flirty, confidence-boosting songs like “Slide” and “Nissan Altima.”
“Stanka Pooh” is a strong start to the album, but following that up with “Bullfrog” set the album’s tone.
Thematically, there are a few things that stand out to me: being a dark-skinned Black woman; processing; healing; and finding balance between being an artist, chasing one’s dreams and the rest of one’s life.
My top five favorites from the album are “Denial Is A River,” “Profit,” “Catfish,” “Skipp” and “Bloom.”
“Denial Is A River” encapsulates everything I love about Doechii as an artist. The role play and the flawless storytelling, all while maintaining relatability and humor, is reminiscent of 2020’s “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” but more mature. It’s playful and vulnerable at the same time.
“Profit” has the most quotable and memorable lines. But Doechii’s lyrics are overall humorous. Not just the occasional one-liner thrown around every few songs — she is consistently hilarious.
She also doesn’t shy away from sexuality. Rap with substance doesn’t have to be “pure” or “innocent” for it to be taken seriously.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Doechii’s music has a spooky factor particularly noticeable in “Boiled Peanuts,” with the voice effect on the repeating line, “It’s a sunny day, the gang’s all here.”
In “Boom Bap,” Doechii talks about the suffocating pressure from hip hop purists when they aren’t out there making the music they want to hear themselves. I disliked it on the first listen, but it grew on me. The song also references a previous hit of hers titled “What It Is.”
In addition to being a rapper, she sings beautifully. This can be heard on “Beverly Hills,” “Bloom,” “Skipp” and “Wait.”
Like Doechii says in “Profit,” “They don’t make statues of critics, they don’t make statues of fans. I’m not no poli-ma-tician, I can’t be shaking them hands.”
All in all, Doechii is so herself and in her element in this album. I would love to see more and to see her reach greater heights of success.
Shin Thant Hlaing is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
