The Amazing Rise of Doechii
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VOICE OVER: Emily Brayton
WRITTEN BY: Ishani Sarkar
Dive into the extraordinary journey of Doechii, from a traumatic childhood in Tampa to becoming a Grammy-winning rapper. Discover how she overcame adversity, conquered the music industry, and became a voice of her generation with her unique style and powerful storytelling. From her early days in a musical family to viral TikTok success, signing with Top Dawg Entertainment, and winning a Grammy, Doechii's rise is an inspiring tale of resilience, creativity, and unapologetic self-expression.
The Rise of Doechii
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re going behind-the-scenes of the glossy glitz and glamor of Doechii’s music career as we know it today. This is the story of how Doechii became the Grammy-winning voice of a generation.
Coming from a family of rappers, hip-hop was ingrained in Doechii’s DNA. Her father, an artist going by the name Snatcha Da Boss, raised her around music. She had drumsticks in her hands before she took her first step. Her uncle, also a musician, would often be around the house, writing new pieces with his brother. Like a doting daughter, Doechii would rest on her papa’s lap while he weaved melodies on the keyboard. It isn’t surprising, therefore, that once she was a bit older, her grandparents got her a ‘superstar kit’ for Christmas. Performing for her family with a little mic and a fancy stage ‘fit gave her the first taste of artistic attention and she was hooked.
What pushed her to pursue music seriously, however, was the influence of her mother. Although her dad was present in her life, Doechii was brought up primarily by her mother. She was a single mother of three – Doechii and a pair of twin girls – and they moved around, often in the Tampa area - places like Sulphur Springs, Wesley Chapel, Temple Terrace, and New Tampa. The change of scenery allowed her to absorb the culture of the Sunshine State and its underground music scene in all its diverse glory. Local heroes like Trina [a]and Trick Daddy made it into her playlists and Florida became much more than the land of swamps. Today, Doechii’s Swamp Princess persona is a tribute to what she calls the “organized chaos” of Florida.
Unfortunately, though, Doechii’s colorful childhood was marred by some major trauma. Without a permanent address, she kept changing schools and kids were not always nice. She was mistreated relentlessly, mostly for her skin tone, and it was doubly hurtful, coming from her fellow African American peers. She once recalled being spat on by a boy and labeled terms she has now come to reclaim. However, at the time, such incidents pushed her to the point of wanting to take her own life. Thankfully, she survived, and came out of it with a renewed appreciation for and understanding of life. Thus, she was reborn as Doechii, a name she etched in her diary, embodying her strongest, most authentic core.
Equipped with a newfound confidence, Doechii focused all her energy on her passion for art. At church, which she was attending at her mother’s insistence, she joined the marching band as a dancer while also singing in the choir. Simultaneously, she was doing step, cheerleading, theater, poetry, choreography and songwriting too. If that wasn’t enough, she was also playing the guitar and the piano, learning jazz, mastering vocal techniques and so much more. No wonder, when she tried out for the prestigious Howard W. Blake School of the Arts, she got in despite being based out of the institution’s district.
Doechii was well on her way to college, aspiring to be a professional chorister[b] until the allure of going indie hit. Inspired by a friend, Doechii started uploading her music on YouTube and SoundCloud. Gigs started coming in from all over Tampa and she hardly ever turned one down, even if it was in a strip club. By 2019, the Big Apple was calling, which meant greater opportunities but a tougher grind. Doechii was working multiple jobs, including at a Zara store, as a student advisor and a dog walker. Out of the blue, a creative block stunted her progress. With a little help from Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way,” she got back on track and released “Coven Music Session, Vol. 1.”
Finally, Doechii’s overnight success moment, which had been years in the making, was in the offing. With the release of her next mixtape “Oh the Places You'll Go” came the viral sensation “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake.” It sparked a TikTok trend worldwide and Doechii with two Is was the name on everyone’s lips. Unsurprisingly, there was a carefully calculated secret to the track’s popularity. The rap phenom revealed in an interview that she had been analyzing the science of relatability and resonance for a while as she penned the buzzworthy lyrics. The key was keeping it real and it worked wonders.
Eager to sign the hottest new rising talent, labels started knocking at Doechii’s door. However, one name stood out among the keen crowd – Anthony ‘Moosa’ Tiffith Jr a.k.a the president of Top Dawg Entertainment. TDE, home to artists like SZA, Schoolboy Q and formerly Kendrick Lamar, saw in Doechii a multi-talented star. Almost immediately, Moosa flew her out to La La Land and put her in a recording booth with producer Kal Banx[c] to test her chops live. Undoubtedly, she delivered, albeit with a shot of tequila for some liquid courage. History was made as the Tampa-bred rookie became the first female rapper for the legendary label. Her signing was also in partnership with Capitol Records.
At TDE, Doechii could unleash her creativity in an environment that was conducive to her growth. It also helped that she had, quote, ‘manifested working with an all-Black team.’ With Top Dawg’s powerful backing and co-signs from Lamar, SZA, Billie Eilish, and even former US President Barack Obama, she was quick to book shows and flex her skills. From Tyler the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw[d] to NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concert” to “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and opening for Beyoncé and Doja Cat, Doechii was in demand. Considering how almost each one of her live performances started trending, suffice to say, she was eating CDs for every meal.
Doechii’s influence expanded beyond music as she solidified her celebrity status, making moves in the fashion world. That and her effortlessly cool yet fiery personality, earned her a spot as a guest judge on season seventeen of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” To add to the hype, her song “Alter Ego” featuring JT set up a heated lip sync battle between queens Lexi Love and Crystal Envy. Not only did the episode rake in the views, the track itself climbed the charts on various streaming platforms. Doechii’s participation on the show, combined with her openness about her own bisexuality made her a favorite in the LGBTQIA+ community, with many queer fans seeing themselves in her.
As the Doechii dominance continued and her impact on pop culture became undeniable, she accomplished a feat that many artists spend their whole lifetimes vying for. Her mixtape “Alligator Bites Never Heal” won the Grammy for Best Rap Album, making her the third woman ever, after Lauryn Hill and Cardi B, to bag the honor. That same night, she wowed the star-studded audience with an epic performance of her iconic hits "Catfish" and "Denial Is A River." With such a major milestone behind her, Doechii has no plans of slowing down. As she moves forward, the rap genius plans on sticking to her guns, being the best and inspiring the next. No questions asked.
Which Doechii song do you think is the most underrated? Tell us in the comments!
[c]https://youtu.be/xZN8AMRRbAk?si=B8DFhZvb5DjqK9YD
[d]https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AR_8Awqb2_4
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re going behind-the-scenes of the glossy glitz and glamor of Doechii’s music career as we know it today. This is the story of how Doechii became the Grammy-winning voice of a generation.
Coming from a family of rappers, hip-hop was ingrained in Doechii’s DNA. Her father, an artist going by the name Snatcha Da Boss, raised her around music. She had drumsticks in her hands before she took her first step. Her uncle, also a musician, would often be around the house, writing new pieces with his brother. Like a doting daughter, Doechii would rest on her papa’s lap while he weaved melodies on the keyboard. It isn’t surprising, therefore, that once she was a bit older, her grandparents got her a ‘superstar kit’ for Christmas. Performing for her family with a little mic and a fancy stage ‘fit gave her the first taste of artistic attention and she was hooked.
What pushed her to pursue music seriously, however, was the influence of her mother. Although her dad was present in her life, Doechii was brought up primarily by her mother. She was a single mother of three – Doechii and a pair of twin girls – and they moved around, often in the Tampa area - places like Sulphur Springs, Wesley Chapel, Temple Terrace, and New Tampa. The change of scenery allowed her to absorb the culture of the Sunshine State and its underground music scene in all its diverse glory. Local heroes like Trina [a]and Trick Daddy made it into her playlists and Florida became much more than the land of swamps. Today, Doechii’s Swamp Princess persona is a tribute to what she calls the “organized chaos” of Florida.
Unfortunately, though, Doechii’s colorful childhood was marred by some major trauma. Without a permanent address, she kept changing schools and kids were not always nice. She was mistreated relentlessly, mostly for her skin tone, and it was doubly hurtful, coming from her fellow African American peers. She once recalled being spat on by a boy and labeled terms she has now come to reclaim. However, at the time, such incidents pushed her to the point of wanting to take her own life. Thankfully, she survived, and came out of it with a renewed appreciation for and understanding of life. Thus, she was reborn as Doechii, a name she etched in her diary, embodying her strongest, most authentic core.
Equipped with a newfound confidence, Doechii focused all her energy on her passion for art. At church, which she was attending at her mother’s insistence, she joined the marching band as a dancer while also singing in the choir. Simultaneously, she was doing step, cheerleading, theater, poetry, choreography and songwriting too. If that wasn’t enough, she was also playing the guitar and the piano, learning jazz, mastering vocal techniques and so much more. No wonder, when she tried out for the prestigious Howard W. Blake School of the Arts, she got in despite being based out of the institution’s district.
Doechii was well on her way to college, aspiring to be a professional chorister[b] until the allure of going indie hit. Inspired by a friend, Doechii started uploading her music on YouTube and SoundCloud. Gigs started coming in from all over Tampa and she hardly ever turned one down, even if it was in a strip club. By 2019, the Big Apple was calling, which meant greater opportunities but a tougher grind. Doechii was working multiple jobs, including at a Zara store, as a student advisor and a dog walker. Out of the blue, a creative block stunted her progress. With a little help from Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way,” she got back on track and released “Coven Music Session, Vol. 1.”
Finally, Doechii’s overnight success moment, which had been years in the making, was in the offing. With the release of her next mixtape “Oh the Places You'll Go” came the viral sensation “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake.” It sparked a TikTok trend worldwide and Doechii with two Is was the name on everyone’s lips. Unsurprisingly, there was a carefully calculated secret to the track’s popularity. The rap phenom revealed in an interview that she had been analyzing the science of relatability and resonance for a while as she penned the buzzworthy lyrics. The key was keeping it real and it worked wonders.
Eager to sign the hottest new rising talent, labels started knocking at Doechii’s door. However, one name stood out among the keen crowd – Anthony ‘Moosa’ Tiffith Jr a.k.a the president of Top Dawg Entertainment. TDE, home to artists like SZA, Schoolboy Q and formerly Kendrick Lamar, saw in Doechii a multi-talented star. Almost immediately, Moosa flew her out to La La Land and put her in a recording booth with producer Kal Banx[c] to test her chops live. Undoubtedly, she delivered, albeit with a shot of tequila for some liquid courage. History was made as the Tampa-bred rookie became the first female rapper for the legendary label. Her signing was also in partnership with Capitol Records.
At TDE, Doechii could unleash her creativity in an environment that was conducive to her growth. It also helped that she had, quote, ‘manifested working with an all-Black team.’ With Top Dawg’s powerful backing and co-signs from Lamar, SZA, Billie Eilish, and even former US President Barack Obama, she was quick to book shows and flex her skills. From Tyler the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw[d] to NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concert” to “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and opening for Beyoncé and Doja Cat, Doechii was in demand. Considering how almost each one of her live performances started trending, suffice to say, she was eating CDs for every meal.
Doechii’s influence expanded beyond music as she solidified her celebrity status, making moves in the fashion world. That and her effortlessly cool yet fiery personality, earned her a spot as a guest judge on season seventeen of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” To add to the hype, her song “Alter Ego” featuring JT set up a heated lip sync battle between queens Lexi Love and Crystal Envy. Not only did the episode rake in the views, the track itself climbed the charts on various streaming platforms. Doechii’s participation on the show, combined with her openness about her own bisexuality made her a favorite in the LGBTQIA+ community, with many queer fans seeing themselves in her.
As the Doechii dominance continued and her impact on pop culture became undeniable, she accomplished a feat that many artists spend their whole lifetimes vying for. Her mixtape “Alligator Bites Never Heal” won the Grammy for Best Rap Album, making her the third woman ever, after Lauryn Hill and Cardi B, to bag the honor. That same night, she wowed the star-studded audience with an epic performance of her iconic hits "Catfish" and "Denial Is A River." With such a major milestone behind her, Doechii has no plans of slowing down. As she moves forward, the rap genius plans on sticking to her guns, being the best and inspiring the next. No questions asked.
Which Doechii song do you think is the most underrated? Tell us in the comments!
[a]TREEnuh
[b]CORE-iss-ter: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/english/chorister[c]https://youtu.be/xZN8AMRRbAk?si=B8DFhZvb5DjqK9YD
[d]https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AR_8Awqb2_4
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