It’s no secret that Doechii had a standout year. After closing out 2023 as support on Doja Cat’s The Scarlett Tour, Top Dawg Entertainment’s self-proclaimed Swamp Princess – born Jaylah Hickman – laid low for the beginning of 2024. Come March, she gave us a glimpse of what she’s got in her gassed-up tank with “Alter Ego” alongside JT, followed by a flow of one-off singles stemming from her “Swamp Sessions” series, which spawned singles including “NISSAN ALTIMA,” “BULLFROG,” “CATFISH” and “SUNDAY’S BEST.”
She really stamped her seal on the year in August, when she unveiled her third studio mixtape and first major label LP, Alligator Bites Never Heal. The immersive homage to Florida finds the rapper establishing her “editorial rap” genre; when she sat down with Hypebeast earlier this year, she described the self-created pocket of hip-hop as a mix of “house music and rage and rap [...] It’s like if rap was high fashion.”
As the album began to sink into the cultural consciousness, the rising rapper kicked off her first-ever headlining tour – all the while landing well-deserved cosigns from industry greats including Kendrick Lamar. The recently wrapped tour saw Doechii bring the acclaimed album to major U.S. cities including New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Oakland, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and, of course, Tampa, as well as overseas to Paris, Berlin, London and Amsterdam.
Amidst the run of shows, this year's Grammy nominations materialized, with TDE's budding top dawg scoring nominations for Best Rap Album with Alligator Bites Never Heal, Best Rap Performance for "NISSAN ALTIMA" and Best New Artist.
High Fashion
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On the fashion front, Doechii has established herself as a force to be reckoned with, making her mark on New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week in September 2024. After showing out at shows such as Luar, Tommy Hilfiger, Area and Off White, the rapper reasserted herself with her on-the-road outfits – a new one for every show. Doechi donned the likes of MIU MIU, Vivienne Westwood, Prada and YSL, and pulled out some of her vintage gems. Not only did Doechii dress in her Sunday best for each night's swamp spectacle, but she encouraged attendees to follow suit, even curating a moodboard especially for the tour, and spotlighting her favorite 'fits every night.
Guest Stars
While many tours lean heavily into the surprise guest element, Doechii elected to do things solo. The rapper didn’t bring out a single special guest throughout the entirety of the tour, aside from Chana Hughes at her Los Angeles El Rey show and, most recently, SZA for her performance at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival. Instead, the stars remained in the audience, with notable attendees including Jhené Aiko, actor Damson Idris, Telfar Clemens, Jonte Moaning and Honey Balenciaga.
Opening Acts
To determine her opening acts – a different one every show – the Swamp Princess held a contest for local DJs to compete for the spot. A creative way to spotlight local talent and emerging artists, with notable names including Annabelle Klein in New York City.
The Swampy Set
Something Doechii emphasized earlier in the year was her commitment to bringing her hometown atmosphere to each and every stage she steps onto. "I think Florida is one of the best places ever – it’s so chaotic but so fun," she explained. "I carry where I’m from on me all the time and, to be honest, not a lot of people have really been to where I’m from in the Everglades. Not many people know what the culture is like down there. It’s such a unique space – the land, the environment, the people – and I want people to really experience that." This sentiment heavily informed each show's set, which came covered in draped greenery and hanging vines.
The Album Itself
Let’s not forget why we’re here: the album itself. Alligator Bites Never Heal is an exemplary ode to Doechii’s home state, deeply immersing listeners into the depths of the state’s swampland via slick production and some of the sharpest wordplay we've seen all year.
Needless to say, we're thankful for The Swamp Princess.
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