Doechii is a rapper, singer and performer native to Tampa, Florida. She had a breakthrough year in 2024, reaching new heights in her career. Her shot into stardom has been met with a lot of praise, but some are suspicious of her success. Let’s go back in time to analyze the catalysts that led Doechii to this given point in her career, while also finding out why she has been accused of being an industry plant. 

It all started in sixth grade, where Doechii came up with her stage name: “Jaylah might’ve been getting bullied, but I decided Doechii wouldn’t stand for that shit.” She joined cheerleading, step, choir, dance and theater. She dedicated most of her time away from traditional classes in favor of her creative pursuits. In 2016, Doechii released her first song, “El Chapo,” and it gained tens of thousands of streams, giving her the confidence that she could become a successful artist.

Doechii posted original songs for several years on YouTube, but also built an audience by posting lifestyle content on the same platform. Doechii wrote music for herself, not for anyone else. In 2019, she dropped her debut EP “Coven Music Session, Vol. 1,” a combination of songs she had released previously. But Doechii really garnered attention with the release of her sophomore EP titled “Oh The Places You’ll Go.” She then received an offer from Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), a music label primarily focusing on the RNB and Hip-Hop/Rap scene. She became the label’s first female rapper. 

Under TDE in 2022, she released her single “Crazy,” which shot her up into the public spotlight for the first time. The visuals released alongside the music featured abrupt and intense choreography, bringing a lot of attention to the song. It cemented Doechii’s place as a visual artist as much as a musical artist. Her single “Persuasive” also gained traction on social media platforms in 2023, leading to a remix featuring SZA. It was a surprise from her label and Doechii had no clue that SZA would be on the song. This song blew up and gained immense popularity on TikTok.

Doechii has had countless singles gain traction, but there’s been a struggle to maintain the popularity for the release of one of her longer projects. That is until her latest project, “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” took the hip-hop and rap worlds by storm. The mixtape took inspiration from classic ‘90s rap music, bringing back a lot of the storytelling elements that rap was once more focused on. The lead single, “Nissan Altima,” instantly hooked listeners with its incredibly fast tempo and fun lyrics. 

Her breakthrough song, however, is “Denial is a River,” which tells multiple stories through an inner dialogue over a slick beat. With this song and the accompanying music video that came out at the very beginning of 2025, Doechii has reached new heights. She’s become so successful that people are now accusing her of being an industry plant, an artist that is pushed hard by their label in a sometimes inorganic way, but is perceived as a small indie artist. Doechii, however, has worked hard for almost a decade, and only got signed a few years ago. She has been able to reap the benefits of working with a label and make elaborate art that represents her to the fullest.

Doechii was nominated for Best Rap Album, Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance at the 67th Grammy Awards. At the ceremony on Feb. 2, she took home one of the big awards of the night, Best Rap Album. She is the third woman to ever win the award since its inception, joining Cardi B and Lauryn Hill. 

During her acceptance speech, she said, “To all of the Black girls watching, anything is possible. Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you, that tell you you can’t be here, that you’re too dark, or that you’re not smart enough, or that you’re too dramatic, or that you’re too loud. You are exactly who you need to be to be right where you are, and I am a testimony.” It’s an emotional win for her and for Black women who have been so undermined by the Recording Academy.

Doechii is just getting started. She has finally reached status of critical acclaim where she can now venture out and explore more artistic endeavors. She has a long and successful career ahead of her, as not only a rapper and a singer, but as a creative.