Album Review: Doechii Flaunts Her Scars in ‘Alligator Bites Never Heal’

With eclectic instrumentals across 19 tracks, the self-proclaimed hip-hop Madonna’s latest mixtape is her most ambitious but flawed project yet.

Written by C.S. Harper

Photo courtesy of Chris Parsons

Content Warning: This article discusses transphobia and violence.

As Top Dawg Entertainment’s first female rapper and second-ever woman signee, Doechii is no stranger to high expectations. Having broken into the scene with the irreverent pandemic-era single “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake,” the Tampa artist quickly catapulted herself to superstardom with the SZA-assisted “Persuasive” and 2023 summer bop “What It Is.” Since then, Doechii has consistently honed her craft as a singer, rapper, and creative visionary through the hit JT collaboration “Alter Ego” and six-part Swamp Session video series.

But with virality comes scrutiny. This year alone, the infamous beef queen Azealia Banks called Doechii “ugly,” and the swamp-hailing singer’s videos and TikToks got ratioed while promoting “Alter Ego.” Amid rising hate, the Florida rapstress airs out her grievances on her latest single, “BOOM BAP.” “They want real rap from a bitch like they out-rappin’ a bitch / … I just can’t sing a lil’ bit? I mean, that shit was a hit,” she spits defiantly. Throughout the track, she expresses her frustration at fans who refuse to view her as a legitimate rapper simply because she sang on “What It Is.” Doechii raps in the most sardonic way possible, delivering the lines “boom, bap, rap” and blowing raspberries at the listener. But “BOOM BAP” shouldn’t be taken lightly — moments like “And it bounce, and it clap, and it’s house, and it’s trap / It’s everything, I’m everything!” assert the rapper’s place as an unshakable force across genres, from house to soul. With its snarky yet empowering lyricism and ’90s inspired production, the song is the perfect tone-setter for her third mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal.

Despite its humorous name, opening song “STANKA POOH” starts the record on a more meditative note. Accompanied by ambient synths, Doechii lists off her self-doubts. She laments how online fame has come at the expense of her image as a serious artist, huskily rapping, “If I died today, I'd die a bastard / TikTok rapper, part-time YouTube actor.” But as minimal percussion kicks in, her lyrics devolve into stream-of-consciousness anxiety. Her concerns range from insignificant worries to genuine fears: “What if I choke on this Slurpee? What if I make it big?” She collects herself in the follow-up track “BULLFROG,” which debuted on YouTube as the first installment of her Swamp Sessions. The song is the standard boastful rap cut, complete with generic lines like “I'm, oh, so expensive / So addictive, you get no attention.” Despite the staleness of some of her lyrics, the self-described swamp princess keeps listeners on their toes with the production. The track’s prominent bassline and Anatolian rock riffs create an underlying sinister feel, suggesting the rapper’s braggadocious side is merely a façade.

Image courtesy of Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records

Sure enough, “DENIAL IS A RIVER” confirms this suspicion. A pitched-up Doechii plays the role of therapist, encouraging the rapper to reflect on her life and career. The song is a lyrical rollercoaster, providing a snapshot of the artist’s trials and tribulations of the past five years. In the first verse, she recalls when an ex cheated on her in 2019. She initially believed her partner was straight until the “other woman” in question turned out to be a man: “Turns out the girl was really a dude?” Many fans have called out the artist for her vague writing that could ring as transphobic. While this may not have been her intention, the 26-year-old singer evokes the gender reveal trope, in which the discovery of a trans woman’s gender identity leaves her vulnerable to violence. This rhetoric has grave consequences, as murderers have used the trans panic defense to justify killing trans people.

When Doechii finishes her story, the therapist tries to unpack it further, but the rapper brags about her wealth and success instead. However, she digs so deeply into her lies that she reluctantly reveals that “this is a really dark time for me” and opens up about her drug use, low self-esteem, and homicidal thoughts. The therapist stops her before she spirals, instructing her to do a breathing exercise. Doechii follows suit, drawing exaggerated breaths before the track abruptly ends without any sonic fade-out.

Of course, no discussion of Doechii’s latest project would be complete without “NISSAN ALTIMA,” her most-viewed Swamp Session single and most-streamed cut from Alligator Bites. Like “BULLFROG,” the track rejuvenates the egotistical rapper trope with the Florida native’s signature offbeat rhymes. “Wine and dine her, Benihana, I’m the new hip-hop Madonna,” she raps fervently before reiterating that she’s “the new hip-hop Madonna, [she’s] the trap Grace Jones.” The production is rudimentary in concept with just keys, bass, and percussion, but producer Childish Major uses a looping chord progression to accompany Doechii’s bars. This sonic approach creates a dizzying effect that elevates the feverishness of the rapper’s flow, aligning with her quirky persona.

Photo courtesy of Chris Parsons

While Doechii spotlights her self-assured alter ego in songs like “NISSAN ALTIMA,” she allows her vulnerability to shine in the closing title track. Accompanied by delicate guitar strums, she softly asks the listener to “dance with me” as she bids “farewell to the sunny days.” Suddenly, the guitar plucks stop as a voice message starts playing. The rapper muses about the biblical story of Abraham and Lot, making comparisons between their separation and her personal journey that feel like a stretch. In the song’s final seconds, she asserts that “everybody can't go where you're going,” which feels more cocky than inspirational.

Given the subversive playfulness of breakout songs like “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” and “Crazy,” Doechii has come to represent forward-thinking, genre-pushing hip-hop. The rapper doesn’t abandon experimentation in Alligator Bites Never Heal, exploring boom bap in “CATFISH” and R&B in other tracks, but they lack the bite of her earlier work. Although her venture outside her comfort zone is commendable, it falls flat because of the record’s sheer length at 19 tracks. Most cuts barely surpass a two-minute runtime, making the album feel like a collection of a few standouts cushioned by too many interludes.

Doechii’s latest mixtape suffers from the pitfalls of the streaming age, which pressures musicians to put out a large collection of songs instead of a cohesive album. Artists and producers create to see what sticks in the charts, resulting in projects with excessive filler. As a result, Alligator Bites has many tracks that feel like afterthoughts because of generic songwriting or bland production. For instance, “BLOOM” delivers a candid story about chasing one’s dreams, only to feel lackluster because of the song’s over-reliance on voice messages and its chorus’ generic self-love lyrics.

Furthermore, Alligator Bites lacks an overarching artistic identity because Doechii’s attempt to venture into alternative R&B comes off as derivative. “SLIDE” feels like her take on a Tinashe-style Top 40 hit, and “BEVERLY HILLS” calls to mind Z-era SZA. Although many musicians receive constant pressure from critics and fans to reinvent themselves, Doechii is a rare artist who doesn’t need to; her hip-hop style is already authentically unconventional. Instead, the album’s highlights lie where she remains true to her brand: her snarky attitude in “BOOM BAP,” her zany rhymes in “NISSAN ALTIMA,” and the therapeutic banter in “DENIAL IS A RIVER.” While the rapper shines in these personable moments, dull tracks muddy the swamp waters of Alligator Bites Never Heal.

Rating: 6/10
Glowing Tracks: “BULLFROG,” “DENIAL IS A RIVER,” “BOOM BAP,” “NISSAN ALTIMA”