By Grace Koennecke, Managing Editor

[Top Dawg Entertainment/ Capitol Records; 2024]

Rating: 6/10

Key Tracks: “NISSAN ALTIMA,” “GTFO (feat. KUNTEFISH),” “SLIDE”

Trigger warning: This album discusses suicidal ideation, mental health.

The first time I ever heard Doechii was with her 2022 single, “Crazy.” Even in the span of just three minutes, the pure rage and confidence she emitted was noteworthy, proving to me her potential to be one of this generation’s most creative female rappers. On her new album, Alligator Bites Never Heal, Doechii discusses a lot – from the consequences of fame to the challenges women of color still face in hip-hop – and it may just be her most vulnerable record yet.

We see this vulnerability straight into the first track, “STANKA POOH.” Doechii contemplates if she’ll ever reach the level of fame she’s clearly been yearning for: “And it’s still not enough of somethin,’ needs more somethin-’ somethin’ / Who’s that creepin’ through my rearview (Thirty-somethin’).” She also contemplates her own death, a poignant moment in the song that doesn’t shy away from addressing her own mental health and suicidal ideation. 

Read more: Album Review: The Dare – What’s Wrong With New York?

Moving further into the album, Doechii integrates humor into a staged therapy session on “DENIAL IS A RIVER,” where she switches between herself and her therapist alter ego. This is a playful moment on the tracklist, as we hear the rapper get more and more deranged throughout the song after recapping her therapist on the last few years of her life. Using ragged breathing to imitate a panic attack mixed with her therapist’s concerned remarks, it’s hard to skip this song when it pulls you in right from the beginning.

While every song sounds completely different on this record, Doechii struggles to captivate listeners in the middle tracks. Every song that comes before the viral “NISSAN ALTIMA” either melds together too suddenly or sees the rapper lose some of her momentum. The only redeeming qualities of songs like “SKIPP,” “HIDE N SEEK” and “BLOOM” is that they integrate sounds and memories from her hometown of Tampa, FL, making them more personal, introspective singles.

However, Doechii picks up the pace again on “NISSAN ALTIMA,” flaunting off her appearance, sexuality and cockiness. Lines like, “Put the motherf*ckin’ money in my motherf*ckin’ hands / I’m in Gucci in a bonnet, spendin’ motherf*ckin’ bands / I got haters, I got fans / I got stans in the stands,” serve as a warning to not underestimate the rapper’s talent, as well as future potential.

A great collaboration follows with “GTFO (feat. KUNTFETISH),” which sees Doechii switch up her delivery alongside KUNTFETISH to spread a clear message to her haters: get the f*ck out of her way. In under three minutes, the song’s swagger is a bold message that invites listeners, especially those of color, to not let anyone or anything get in the way of being successful. 

“SLIDE” leans more into the R&B side of the record, with Doechii embracing a new love interest. A song that alludes to the rapper’s sexual fantasies, it serves as another strong performance on the record. Throughout the album, she never fades from diving headfirst into her love life, which is usually performed from a more possessive and objective standpoint in the genre.

The album ends with its title track, which is a slower, more guitar-driven song compared to the rest of the tracklist’s techno beat production. Doechii also brings out her singing voice on this track, but still uses a tempo reminiscent of many of her previous beats found on the album. Reminiscent of influences like SZA and Jhené Aiko, there’s not many vocals on this record, which hinders the ending.

However, the final track stops on this final voicenote: “You gotta understand, the path that you going on, everybody can’t go / And you can’t take everybody where you’re going.” Overall, this is the overlying motif this album leaves listeners to contemplate, and acts as a reminder that with success comes the revealing of people’s true colors.

While Alligator Bites Never Heal struggles at times to keep up its energy with such an extensive tracklist, Doechii does prove her potential to be one of the most creative rappers of this generation, and for that, everyone should listen to this record as a proper introduction to her work.

Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/album/60UzB8mOCMpc7xkuJE6Bwc?si=pBz7iwa5QniOO_U-HpBpRg