Editor’s Note: This story contains mentions of sexual assault, which some readers may find disturbing.
Doechii, an eccentric and electrifying rapper, took the rap world by storm with the release of her third mixtape, “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” in 2024. This project from the young artist has propelled her into stardom, granting Doechii her first three Grammy nominations and a win, making her the third female rapper to win “Best Rap Album.”
After winning, Doechii delivered a moving acceptance speech, telling Black women and girls that anything is possible. This emotional speech was one of importance, with this award signifying a “passing of the torch” and making her the next big thing for the rap game.
The Florida rapper’s win and nominations caused a wave of controversy. Many rap fans disapproved of her rise to fame, disregarding her skill set entirely.
Doechii put in years of work before her single “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” went viral on TikTok in 2020, deservingly boosting her career. She is willing to experiment with sound across her different projects, demonstrating the versatility of her music.
The playfulness she often exhibits shines on the track “Balloon.” Her song “Crazy” displays her confidence and lyricism, while tracks like “Black Girl Memoir” and “DENIAL IS A RIVER” demonstrate her vulnerability through storytelling.
Criticisms made about Doechii without listening to her music stem from unchecked misogynoir within the rap industry. Misogynoir, or hatred toward Black women, is a form of prejudice dating back to slavery and the Jim Crow era.
Black bodies were commodified during the transatlantic slave trade, dehumanizing them through grueling labor and hypersexualization. Slave owners partook in harmful acts toward slaves such as creating anti-Black caricatures, public humiliation and violent sexual assault. These acts demoralized Black folks, serving as a flawed justification for the traumas enacted on them in a society dominated by Western ideals.
Black women still face a large deal of discrimination today through their bodies. One in five Black women are survivors of rape or sexual assault, and 41% have experienced sexual harassment or coercion. This translates to Black women in rap, hypersexualizing them to disregard their talent.
Their humanity is still dismissed, as the foundations of a Eurocentric society were never created to benefit Black women. Narratives on a Black woman’s rights to her own body are not dictated by the women but by an oppressive regime.
The hip-hop industry contributes to this cycle of discrimination — more than the casual fan realizes.
From degrading lyrics to music videos objectifying women to fit the male gaze, it’s difficult to defend these acts of misogynoir and write it off as a part of “the culture.”
In 2020, Megan Thee Stallion attended a pool party and was shot in the foot by Canadian singer Tory Lanez. She withheld her story, fearing the reaction from the Los Angeles Police Department, and fans claimed she lied and Lanez never shot her. Artists like DaBaby and Drake continued the narrative of her untruthfulness through their raps despite Lanez’s conviction in 2022.
Megan’s story is one of many for Black women, showing a clear-cut example of how they’re subjected to the harms of victim blaming and its effects.
I grew up on rap music, listening to artists from various backgrounds. As a journalist, rap to me is the purest form of writing and communication. The genre, in its most authentic form, is derived from the grit, pain and pride of my ancestors all across the Black diaspora, motivating me to write with the passion I do.
Seeing Black women constantly be subjected to discrimination makes me think of my mother, my aunt, my grandmother and any other Black woman in my life. As much as I love rap and what it has done for me, I despise the inherent misogynoir.
A culture that prides itself on devaluing women who have been a key aspect of what makes this music so beautiful is not a culture I wish to partake in.
Miss Lauryn Hill and her presence is a prime example of Black women being a key piece in the standard for rap. She created music not only highlighting the Black experience through her lyrics but expanded on the complexities of what it was like being Black women.
Hill discussed her struggles with spirituality and motherhood through her moving vocals and smooth lyrics. She most notably showcased this on her 1998 studio album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” making history and winning album of the year at the Grammys in 1999.
Accolades aside, Hill represents the crucial role Black women play in the greatness of rap. Successful men in the industry like Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar name her as a key inspiration.
Actively consuming the culture means understanding its roots, and for rap, those roots involve Black women.
A lively presence like Doechii’s is what this industry needs right now. Young Black women like her bring a hunger to better their craft, revitalizing the rap game.
To write her and other Black women off as money hungry and unskilled artists would be excluding them from the very culture they helped build.
Accept the fresh faces who promote sexual liberation and complexity for Black women. Pay homage to the women in rap who inspired many of the men of the culture. Show love and crowing our queens, too.
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