On March 18th Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) announced Doechii has officially signed to them – making her the first female rapper to ever sign to TDE. She was proudly welcomed to the TDE family which is the label home for well known artists such as Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and Jay Rock.
Doechii expressed her gratitude stating, “I’m TDE’s first woman rapper and I’m honored to be apart of the family.” Founder Anthony Tiffith, who first signed Kendrick Lamar at 17, had countless things to say regarding Doechii’s talent, authenticity, and potential. “Hearing Doechii I knew immediately this woman is a star. Her talent is boundless, fluid, and authentic,” he said “we work with artists that have their own strong vision and Doechii fits. She is capable of so many different styles, sounds, and personalities.” Further demonstrating this perfect fit Doechii went on to say, “they don’t simply follow trends-they create them. Focusing on the music and the art is where my head is at too, we have so much coming at you-and I don’t plan to sleep for a while.”
Who is Doechii?
The 22 year old rapper from Tampa Florida caught the attention of many after going viral on Tik Tok with her song “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” where she makes quite the introduction. Throughout the track she showcases her different flows and personalities in an undeniably quirky and charismatic way, making it a viral hit. She went on to release “Oh the Places You’ll Go,” a collection of alternative rap songs as well as her ep “Bra-less” that was released shortly after, and both projects signify her ability to give you variety and range as a rapper. You’ll find tracks with pop and funk undertones such as “Drop Out,” and “Something Real,” vocals heard throughout “Black Girl Memoir,” and “Girls,” alongside tracks that contain a more mainstream and aggressive hip hop sound such as “Pms,” and “Truth.”
Signed in the Studio
Regarding her latest release “Crazy,” Doechii took to Twitter explaining the process stating, “when TDE flew me out they put me in a fancy studio with @Kalbanx and the first beat he played was “Crazy.” I didn’t want to disappoint them and I ended up writing “Crazy” and getting signed.” This collaboration was not their first as they’ve previously worked together on her single “Persuasive” that now has nearly 1.5 million streams on Spotify as well as featuring together on Isaiah Rashad’s track “Wat U Sed.” “Crazy” was definitely far from disappointing anyone as was the music video that ended up getting banned from trending on YouTube due to its nudity and violence.
The director Sara C Prinz released a statement stating that the music video was an “expansive metaphor embodying the hardships women go through in their ascension to power,” and went on to explain “it’s a piece that challenges the viewer to look at stigmatized imagery and asks them to see beyond the first impression-to see the female form not in moments of sexuality but in moments of truth, intensity, and power.” A concept that is much needed in the world of female rap that has been known to overly sexualize women and choose to see that over their talent.
Saying what others are afraid to say
Doechii showcasing her authenticity and boldness while implementing powerful messages throughout her art is exactly why her being the first female rapper signed to TDE is such a huge deal. In an interview with Rolling Stone last year she even stated:
“I made songs that I thought other people would enjoy and I avoided talking about myself or my experiences growing up because I really didn’t think it mattered. That’s kinda become the whole core of my artistry. I have a belief that I am a mirror to people. I want to be able to be brave enough and trust God enough to say what it is that most people are afraid to say.”
A refreshing approach to Female Rap
Doechii demonstrates such a refreshing approach to the work she puts out while also understanding the importance of her representation. This approach alongside the platform she is given will undoubtedly have an influence on her listeners as well as other female rappers.
There is definitely more to come from Doechii as we enter this new era of her being part of the TDE family. On top of this signing, TDE announced a partnership with Capitol records so all eyes are definitely on Doechii. Anthony Tiffith spoke on this partnership stating, “Doechii’s energy is definitely contagious and, together with Capitol, we’re committed to helping her share her gifts with the world.” Envisioning what’s next for her, Doechii stated, “the legacy of Capitol and TDE continues with me and my fans…and the legacy of my music starts right here, right now.”
Works Cited
Bouza, Kat. “Doechii Celebrates Wild Nights, Getting High on New Single “Persuasive”” rollingstone.com, 18 Mar. 2022,
www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/doechii-persuasion-signs-to-top-dawg-entertainment-1323282/.
Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie. “Doechii “Crazy” Video Banned From YouTube Due to Nudity.” hiphopdx.com, 9 Apr. 2022, www.hiphopdx.com/news/id.69419/title.doechii-crazy-video-banned-from-trending-on-youtube-due-to-nudity#.
Needham, Jack. “Capitol Records Strikes Partnership With Top Dawg Entertainment, Signs Breakout Artist Doechii.” musicbusinessworldwide.com, 31 Mar. 2022, www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/capitol-records-strikes-partnership-with-top-dawg-entertainment-signs-breakout-artist-doechii/#:~:text=Capitol%20Records%20has%20partnered%20with,who%20has%20sig.
