Doechii Bio
Jaylah Ji’mya Hickmon, known professionally as Doechii, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Tampa, Florida. Also nicknamed The Swamp Princess, she first drew widespread attention after several of her songs went viral on TikTok in 2021, leading to recording contracts with Top Dawg Entertainment and Capitol Records in 2022. Her 2023 single “What It Is (Block Boy)” featuring Kodak Black became her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.
Doechii’s 2024 mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal received widespread critical acclaim and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, making her the third woman to win in the category. She has also been recognized as a 2024 Variety Hitmakers Hip-Hop Disruptor and as Billboard’s 2025 Woman of the Year, cementing her place as one of the most influential voices in contemporary hip-hop. Based in Los Angeles, she has collaborated with prominent artists including Tyler, the Creator, Jennie, the Weeknd, and SZA.
Early Life and Background
Jaylah Ji’mya Hickmon was born on August 14, 1998, in Tampa, Florida, where she was raised. She is the daughter of Celesia Moore and Snatcha Da Boss, a rapper who recorded professionally, and her uncle was also a rapper. Doechii grew up alongside younger twin sisters and has described her upbringing as Christian. Her early home environment was rich with music, and that foundation helped shape her future artistic direction.
Doechii attended Howard W. Blake High School, where she wrote poetry and rap lyrics and began making music by 2014. She participated in a wide range of performing arts, including ballet, tap dancing, acting, cheerleading, gymnastics, and soccer. These varied creative experiences contributed to the animated stage presence and theatrical quality that later defined her performances as a recording artist.
Although she had once planned to pursue a career as a professional choral singer, a friend encouraged her to produce and release her own music online as an independent artist. In 2016, she sold hoodies printed with the phrase “Stay woke. Stay black.” in protest of police brutality, an early sign of her willingness to merge activism with entrepreneurship. That same year, she began uploading her earliest recordings to SoundCloud under the name Iamdoechii.
Path to Music
Doechii released her debut single “Girls” on SoundCloud in 2016 and continued developing her sound over the following years. In 2019, she released one of her first projects, Coven Music Session, Vol. 1, and in 2020 she self-funded her debut EP, Oh the Places You’ll Go, which Rolling Stone described as a blend of pop, dance, and hip hop. The single “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake,” drawn from that EP and inspired by her reading of The Artist’s Way, went viral on TikTok in 2021 and drew the attention of major record labels.
Throughout 2021, Doechii built momentum with her second EP, Bra-Less, a feature on Isaiah Rashad’s “Wat U Sed” from the album The House Is Burning, and an opening slot on SZA’s 2021 tour. She also performed with Rashad at the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards, helping to establish her presence on larger stages. These early efforts paved the way for her transition to major-label recording in early 2022.
In March 2022, Doechii signed with Capitol Records through Chris Turner and with Top Dawg Entertainment, becoming the first female rapper on the latter label. That same month, she released “Persuasive” as her first single through Top Dawg Entertainment and appeared as a featured artist on David Guetta and Afrojack’s “Trampoline” alongside Missy Elliott and Bia. Her third EP, She / Her / Black Bitch, arrived on August 5, 2022, marking her first major-label release and reinforcing her identity as a bold new voice in hip-hop.
Doechii Career
Early Career (2016–2023)
Doechii’s earliest career years were marked by independent releases, viral moments, and high-profile performances. After “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” went viral on TikTok, she drew offers from several labels and ultimately signed with Top Dawg Entertainment and Capitol Records in 2022. In 2023, she performed at Coachella, served as an opening act on Doja Cat’s The Scarlet Tour, and made her acting debut in the drama film Earth Mama, directed by Savanah Leaf.
Her 2022 performance of “Persuasive” earned a nomination for Push Performance of the Year at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, signaling growing industry recognition. In 2023, her single “What It Is (Block Boy)” featuring Kodak Black became her first Billboard Hot 100 entry and was certified platinum. That same year, Billboard Women in Music named her a Rising Star, recognizing her as one of the most exciting emerging talents in the industry.
Breakthrough (2024–2025)
Doechii’s second mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, was released in August 2024 to widespread critical acclaim. Pitchfork described it as her most ambitious and musically diverse release, highlighting both its playful, melodic moments and its hard-hitting hip-hop. The project peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200 and produced the singles “Nissan Altima,” “Boom Bap,” and “Denial Is a River,” while its bonus track “Anxiety” eventually became her first song to peak within the Billboard Hot 100’s top ten.
Alligator Bites Never Heal won Best Rap Album at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, making Doechii the third woman to win in the category. She also won the Grammy Award for Best Music Video for “Anxiety” and earned two MTV Video Music Awards and a BET Award. In 2025, she was named Billboard’s Woman of the Year, becoming the second female rapper to receive the honor following Cardi B in 2020.
Doechii expanded her visibility through high-profile collaborations throughout 2024 and 2025. She appeared on Tyler, the Creator’s “Balloon” from Chromakopia, Katy Perry’s “I’m His, He’s Mine” from 143, and Jennie’s “ExtraL.” In 2025, she was featured on the remix of the Weeknd and Playboi Carti’s “Timeless” and surprise-released a collaboration with SZA titled “Girl, Get Up” on December 30, 2025. She also performed at Lollapalooza 2025, where she announced her Live from the Swamp Tour.
Notable Works and Milestones
Doechii’s signature works include the platinum-certified single “What It Is (Block Boy)” and the Grammy-winning mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal. She has been compared by critics to Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, and Nicki Minaj, and has cited Lauryn Hill as her biggest inspiration alongside influences such as Tyler, the Creator, Kendrick Lamar, and SZA. Her bold visual style, theatrical performances, and genre-blending approach have earned her recognition as one of the most distinctive new voices in modern hip-hop.
Doechii Award Nominations
Doechii has received multiple award nominations across her career, spanning the Grammy Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, Soul Train Music Awards, and NAACP Image Awards. Her 2022 MTV Video Music Awards nomination for Push Performance of the Year for “Persuasive” marked one of her earliest major nods, while her 2025 Grammy nominations included Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance. She has also earned two Soul Train Music Awards nominations and several NAACP Image Awards nominations, including Outstanding New Artist, Outstanding Female Artist, and Outstanding Album.
Doechii Awards Won
Doechii has won two Grammy Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and one BET Award. Her 2025 Grammy wins included Best Rap Album for Alligator Bites Never Heal and Best Music Video for “Anxiety,” and she was also named a 2024 Variety Hitmakers Hip-Hop Disruptor. In 2025, she was recognized as Billboard’s Woman of the Year, becoming the second female rapper to receive the award.
Doechii Family
Doechii is the daughter of Celesia Moore and Snatcha Da Boss, a rapper who recorded professionally, and her uncle was also a rapper. She has younger twin sisters and has described her upbringing in Tampa, Florida, as Christian. Her family’s deep ties to music helped shape her early creative life and her decision to pursue a career as a recording artist.
Personal Life
Doechii previously lived in New York City before moving to Los Angeles, where she has been based since 2022. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she shared her daily life through YouTube vlogs. In a 2024 interview with Joe Budden, she revealed that she had recently become sober following years of heavy drinking, a change she has spoken about openly as part of her growth as an artist.