Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii

Review written by Radisysta

Jaylah Ji’mya Hickson, the Swamp Princess, better known as Doechii is an American rapper and singer from Tampa, Florida. She gained attention in 2020 with her song “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake,” which quickly became a TikTok hit. Her career has just been rising from there; she signed with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2022, making her the first female rapper to sign with them. TDE also represents SZA, Isaiah Rashad, and Kendrick Lamar. Her style combines hip-hop, rap, and pop to create a unique style. She has stated some of her inspirations are Nicki Minaj, Lauren Hill, Kanye West, and SZA.

I had heard her name before this review, as there was hype for her song and music video “NISSAN ALTIMA” (a part of the mixtape). More recently, she was featured on the song “Balloon” on Tyler the Creator’s Chromakopia (you should listen to it as well!). She recently released her “mixtape” (I’m calling it an album) called Alligator Bites Never Heal, on August 30, 2024. The album has 19 songs, which seem like a lot, but altogether it’s less than an hour-long listen. With it comes a mix of beautiful singing and well-put-together rap verses.

Though she has 15 million monthly listeners on Spotify, I still feel like she is just getting started. Many themes she speaks about are to do with her identity, whether it’s her queerness, Floridian roots, race, woman hood, or mental health. The album reflects on her life, whether it’s past relationships or her own personal journey. But also explores her life in the present, what’s to come, and a remembrance of where she comes from. This starts with a combination of her album cover,which is her sitting holding an albino alligator in her hands, and the title, Alligator Bites Never Heal. Alligators are found in Florida and are a representation of power and strength. This concept of an alligator bite is a wound that cuts deep and might take a long time or never heal. Also, it’s an albino alligator, which is itself rare.

This album is gritty, dark, bold, and sensual. I would love to talk about every song on this album, but then this would be 17 pages long, so instead I will highlight some of my favorite songs. The fourth track is titled “DENIAL IS A RIVER.” There’s wordplay in the title, because it’s spelled denial but can be pronounced as “da Nile,” a reference to the meme “Denial is a river in Egypt, your husband is gay!” which was popularized by the TV host Wendy Williams. The song starts off with Doechii and her alter ego, represented in a high-pitched voice, catching up with each other on life. She mentions the last time they talked was on her EP, Oh The Places You’ll Go. The context feels like a recap of a TV show you’re watching. The storytelling rap feels like it’s between a friend, who always has drama or problems and who rants and never listens to any of the advice of their therapist friend. As she continues her story, she gets worked up and starts getting aggressive and gritty in her voice. The alter ego intervenes, which leads to the song ending with a breathing exercise. This is unique; I’ve never heard any other artist do it before. Overall the rapping is very animated and she emphasizes certain words and even talks in the middle of verses. This song has the influence people like Nicki Minaj and Tyler the Creator. Rapping can sound samey, but this song is refreshing and it keeps me hooked, since I didn’t know what was coming next.

The thirteenth track, “NISSAN ALTIMA,” is her most popular song, and for good reason. Firstly, I want to mention that the music video is crazy good! The cinematography reminds me of Kendrick Lamar’s music videos, specifically “Humble,” with the freeze frames and the unique angles and close-ups throughout the video. The obvious appearance of the Nissan Altima also reminds me of “Alright” with the black and white filter at the beginning of her video and “driving” the car. The song is amazing and the video adds to that popularity. In the song, my favorite part is the chorus. It feels like a chant in some sense, as it has been stuck in my head for days. Something that I enjoyed was in the second verse of her song where they stop the beat and she says: ““Put the motherfuckin’ money in my motherfuckin’ hands / I’m in Gucci in a bonnet, spendin’ motherfuckin’ bands / I got haters, I got fans, I got stans in the stands.” The beat is reintroduced and she continues rapping. But stopping the beat emphasizes what she’s feeling, and maybe what other artists feel, too. Becoming popular, you are bound to have haters, but what matters is those who do support you, focusing on your goal and seeing your success. Either way, attention is attention, whether good or bad, and you’re making money doing so. This is honestly the best song on the album and I could listen to it over and over again; it just tickles the right part of my brain. I can’t explain it!

Some honorable mentions I wanted to include are “SKIPP,” “HIDE N SNEEK,” and “GTFO” featuring Fetish. “SKIPP” and “HIDE N SNEAK” are next to each other on the album order and sound great back to back. I enjoyed these songs in particular due to the way she sings the notes; elongating them feels like a potential influenced of Doja Cat. It’s almost mesmerizing or sensual. This album balances the rapping and singing ratio well. With rap albums, it can be tricky to know if the delivery is too heavy to keep the listener’s attention. Finally is the track “GTFO” featuring Fetish (known as KUNTFETISH). The beat is intriguing to me, with an almost siren sounding throughout the song. With the chanting of “Get the fuck off my way, bitch,” the siren feels like a warning. The instrumentals remind me of the artist Aurdey Nuna, specifically her song, “Damn Right,” with more trap beat elements to it. But I especially love the way Fetish sings. Her vocals are monotone but add a seriousness. Thus gives you a boost of confidence, ready to walk past everyone looking and feeling like a bad bitch.

Doechii was also recently was nominated for three Grammys (for Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance, and Best Rap Album). Music truly can thrive when you are evolving and putting your own authentic twist on it, and these nominations are well deserved. Unfortunately these award shows will often put new artists specifically into a box. Black artists particularly tend to be put in the “Urban” category. I hate when they use this word. To me, Doechii is a trailblazer and a new wave of hip-hop. Though I’m using these words to describe her music, most of what I’ve listened to is unique to her alone. Rap has experienced a downfall with the rise of the internet and the evolution of technology, such as by wannabe Soundcloud rappers using the same samples and awfully written lyrics. It has gotten harder to find authentic, passionate artists and rappers, but Doechii is one of them.

Alligator Bites Never Heal is by someone who’s having their moment. What I mean is there’s always one moment in your life where it seriously changes your life for the better or worse. They are usually unpredictable and there’s nothing you can do about them. Not everyone can become an artist, to really create music that you love and want to actually do. In Doechii’s case, she is an up-and-coming artist and they put in a box, but that’s not stopping her from rebelling against that box. I’m confident in saying this momentum is not stopping for Doechii anytime soon, and I’m excited for what’s next for the Swamp Princess.