💥 Doechii Said Be Delulu—And Honestly, She’s Right

When you stop playing small, magic happens

Hey y’all,

This week we’re dedicating the newsletter to the incomparable, one and only, rap goddess from the swamp, Doechii. A crusader for Black women and creatives alike, Doechii is no holds barred about her gifts and built her career brick by brick in a way that is awe-inspiring for even this millennial. Jessica Onyemauche pens an ode to the Florida rapper’s hustle, perseverance and rise treading murky waters as a dark-skinned Black woman trying to make it in the industry with no cosign. It’s a jam-packed article that will hopefully have you ready to dive deep into your passions. I’ll spare you my yapping this week—let’s get into it!

Take care,

Anayo Awuzie
EIC of Carefree Media

Twelve Out Of Ten: Doechii Said Be Delulu—And Honestly, She’s Right

When you stop playing small, magic happens.

by Jessica Onyemauche

“...I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.”

— The Bell Jar

“If Doechii can do it, I can do it.” This is a mantra I have found myself repeating often since Doechii came into the limelight. Recently, I have been crippled by my many talents. I currently juggle a budding law and writing career while having distant dreams of working in media, unable to decide what to stick with in the long run. I see myself as a woman who is sitting at the crotch of a fig tree, like the above analogy painted by Sylvia Plath. I reach out to pluck a fig, but I move too slowly and cautiously, hoping I don’t fall off the tree, and, also, incessantly pondering if the fruit will even taste good when I pluck it. However, my concerns have become less of a burden when I see a multi-passionate Gen Z Black woman flourishing, whose versatility will not be held down. She plucked her figs one by one and finally realized her dreams. I feel powerful because of her. In her smile, I see a future where I can live just as fulfilled.

I didn’t witness Doechii’s YouTube era, but I still identify as an early fan who takes immense pride in discovering her before “Denial is a River.” Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon, an 11th-grade student from Tampa, Florida, took the stage name Doechii in a bid to manifest a new reality after being heavily bullied by most of her peers. She came up with the name over 11 years ago, and under this name she is the 2025 Billboard Woman of the Year, a three-time Grammy-nominated artist, the third woman to win Best Rap Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammys, and Variety’s 2024 Hitmakers Hip-Hop Disruptor of the Year.

I came across a tweet that said, “Doechii is a normal person that just got famous,” and while that tweet was heavily ridiculed, I completely understood what the netizen meant. Doechii, just like any creative, was caught up in the system of capitalism—which commodifies art and provides strict guidelines for what creativity should look like. The system's frustration gives art no meaning if it doesn’t trigger an influx of cash, and for creatives to thrive, art must become a side hustle. I mean, why make anything if it doesn’t shelter or put food on the table? Seething with indignation behind fast food counters, despite seeing herself on the big stage, Doechii developed a hunger to escape the cruel system and make it work.

via Cosmopolitan

The system burns out most creatives, and they give up—which is nothing to be ashamed of—but not Doechii. As a Black woman, Doechii is not excluded from the pressure to work 10 times harder than her peers before attaining proper recognition. Doechii’s persistence to be heard loud and clear is beyond evident in her work ethic and confidence. In an interview with Apple Music, she said, “I am hungry, I want to be the best. If I have 2 days…if I have 24 hours, I’m going to work my hardest to make it the best performance, because I want to be the best.” Whether it is R&B, pop, or rap, she writes and performs like it is her last opportunity to do so.

Doechii put out her very first song, "Girls," in 2018, when she was just in the 11th grade, marking her debut into the world of music. She then dropped her fully self-funded EP in 2020, “Oh, the Places You'll Go.” In 2021, she released her second EP, “Bra-Less,” which earned her a spot as SZA's opening act during her 2021 Good Days Fall tour. In March 2022, she was signed to Capitol Records by Chris Turner and Top Dawg Entertainment, making her the first female rapper on the label. And that same month, she released her first hit song, "Persuasive," which took over the streets of TikTok and landed her a collaboration with SZA. On August 5, 2022, she released her second EP, “She / Her / Black Bitch,” and in August 2024, she dropped the project that changed everything. Doechii released her third mixtape, “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” a name she said was inspired by the turbulent nature of life (you are always going to be bitten, one way or the other), and it has been pronounced by a lot of critics to be her most ambitious and musically diverse release.

Ten years. Ten years of consistently plucking figs and putting herself out there. It is imperative to list out Doechii’s portfolio, because watching a talented Black woman finally get what she deserves and suddenly being pronounced an industry plant is painful. An industry plant with a 10-year portfolio before reaching the spotlight? Who planted her? This is a first-hand lesson on how the struggle never ends. When you are under, you will doubt yourself, and when you are at the top, people will doubt you. But they do not define you, you define yourself.

Fortunately, Doechii's ability to stay true to herself is often handsomely rewarded. “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake,” her first breakout song, details her experience growing up, finding her voice, and the major role her mother played. ”Denial is a River,” another very vulnerable song and arguably the best track on her most recent EP, became her first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. The song breaks a fourth wall to the listeners with her inner dialogue, where she opens up about her drug addiction, relationship troubles, and all the anger she has harbored for the past six years. She was very hesitant to put out the song because the vulnerability scared her. Alas, it resonated most with her listeners, debuting at no. 76 on the Billboard charts.

At the cornerstone of Doechii’s self-expression is her Blackness. The term “looking African" has been used as a slur by so many people. As an African-born Nigerian, I can attest to how dismal it is to be regarded on the low end of beauty standards. However, for Doechii's first appearance on the Breakfast club, I saw pure excitement in her eyes when she talked about how often she has been told she looks Nigerian. She even took a step further into embracing the culture by wearing eye makeup that represented the deity Chi in Igbo land, one of Nigeria’s most populous tribes. Cornrows have even become a solid part of her brand. No matter the event, she tries her best to reinvent her braids in an intentional, raw, and completely unique way. Her hairstylist Marquez mentioned this to Elle. “Every look we create together has Black history and futures in mind.” While the internet is arguing if braids are suitable to be seen with at the club, Doechii is wearing them to stun on red carpets.

She never hesitates to explore: you can't box her in, you can't tell her what makeup is too dainty or too bold, or what colors suit a dark-skinned woman, or what dresses are not for her body type, because she knows herself and she is not afraid to step away from the norm and try new things. In a colorist industry like Hollywood, Doechii’s unapologetic expression of her Blackness is a marvel.

Doechii is everything I want to be. Not solely mirroring her success, but the sheer determination to achieve. She has taught me that people will see me eventually, that my dreams are not too big to stay unfulfilled, and that slowly but surely, the mosaic of my life will stand out at the museum.

Like me, Black women around the world are being inspired by Doechii's story with admiration and fully recharged determination. I asked a few of them about how her artistry and presence makes them feel.

Sarah, an upcoming artist, who has been fully charmed by Doechii’s charisma, says, “She has a way of grabbing your attention at first listen. I will describe her career as revolutionary. I mean, we can all see where it started from. She inspires me so much. Her rise recently ignited something new in me and made me see the possibility that this is something I could do.”

Naz, a designer who is not a big fan of rap music, definitely shares a very similar sentiment with Sarah: “I do not listen to a lot of rap music, but when I first heard her, I listened to her every day for almost a month. She makes me believe that I can if I want to. Now I make random videos of myself not because of social media, but because I want to be able to look back and see where it all started and where it has gotten me.”

Penelope Gharety, a marketer and content creator, sees Doechii as a major standout. “She embodies the idea that Black women can be multifaceted and different. She represents a generation of Black women who are not afraid to stand out, to be weird and quirky, and to express their true selves and take up space unapologetically. The deepest lesson her journey has taught me is the importance of being resilient and owning your narrative. For Black women, this is a reminder that our voices and stories matter and our uniqueness is our greatest strength.”

Latoya, the founder of For Black Women UK, speaks particularly on the backlash Doechii has faced since she entered the mainstream conversation. “Even with the misogynoir, comparisons, and backlash she’s faced recently, she continues to push forward,” she said. “In many ways, our demographic is often treated as the underdog, especially being a dark-skinned Black woman. We’re expected to lose, and we’re not expected to reach the levels of success that Doechii has.”

“That’s why moments like her recent performance with Lauryn Hill, her charting records, viral success, Grammy win, and being named Billboard’s Woman of the Year feel so shocking to some,” she continues, “But all of this just proves why persistence is important for us. Despite the challenges, we can still win. For young Black girls, she proves that not only is staying true to who you are essential, but believing in yourself is the real key to success. That self-belief is what ultimately drives success.”

Getting to know how all these Black women felt about Doechii has made me realize that it is not the Grammy or Billboard award that validates her talent, but the number of people who are willingly inspired and enamored by her. She is finally getting recognition from the demographic she is representing and paving the path for her people.

Doechii’s story is a little push from me to Black women all over the world that your persistence can encourage people, your people. The path might feel lonely now, but you are not alone. If you don’t do it for the light at the end of your tunnel, then do it because there are women like you, behind you, who will need your torch to see before it dies out.

“I know that there is some Black girl, so many Black women, that are watching me right now, and I want to tell you, you can do it. Anything is possible… don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you that tell you you can’t be here and that you’re too dark or you’re not smart enough or that you are too loud. You are exactly who you need to be…and I am a testimony.”

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Jessica Onyemauche is a law graduate who dabbles with her pen from time to time.