Who Is Doechii? From the Swamp to "Anxiety" and Beyond
Doechii is a singer, songwriter, and rapper making big waves in hip-hop. Also known by her birth name, Jaylah Ji’mya Hickmon, she has recorded lots of fire songs and worked with some of the biggest names in the scene. Doechii became famous around five years ago, attracting global attention on TikTok and other social platforms. She then signed with Top Dawg Entertainment, where she released multiple records and collaborated with huge names like Tyler, the Creator and SZA.
Doechii has an authentic, animated flow that’s totally uncompromising. Over her relatively short career, she’s been compared to artists like Nick Minaj, Azealia Banks, and Missy Elliott. Her breakout track from 2019, “Anxiety,” has been re-released in 2025, and it’s put her right back where she belongs — in the global spotlight in front of her adoring fans.
Let’s learn more about this talented artist and the exciting music she creates. We’ll learn about her early life, explore her biggest releases, and dive deep into the sounds and story of “Anxiety” — a hip-hop anthem for the modern age.
The childhood years
Doechii is a self-proclaimed “swamp princess,” hailing from the wetlands of Tampa, Florida. Growing up in the Sunshine State, she was raised on Christian values and encouraged to embrace the arts from a young age. Florida has produced lots of great hip-hop talent over the years, including names like Denzel Curry, Kodak Black, and Rick Ross. It’s “just a unique place,” says Doechii, adding, “It’s swamp but it’s also beach and city. We’re all the way at the bottom of the United States. I think that has to do with the unique type of rappers and artists we breed out here.”
During her childhood, Jaylah attended Howard W. Blake High School and took part in various performance activities. She did ballet, tap dancing, cheerleading, and gymnastics; she even performed with her high school marching band. Jaylah’s teachers and peers soon became aware of her vocal talents, with the young Doechii training as a professional choral singer long before she went solo. Jaylah was always a highly creative individual, with her background in performance and poetry setting her up for a successful rapping career.
Jahlah’s love for music quickly took hold, with a close friend showing her the benefits of producing and uploading music online. “Music has given me the confidence and freedom to really embrace myself,” said Doechii. “It’s given me a safe space to just figure out who I am.” Along with her musical intelligence, Jaylah has always been a socially conscious individual. In 2016, when she was just 18, she sold hoodies with the phrase “Stay woke. Stay black.” in protest of local police brutality.
Early career
Doechii started getting attention for her tunes around 2016, after uploading songs to SoundCloud and YouTube. Under the handle “iamdoechii,” she released the tracks “Girls,” “Doechii Potion,” and “Spookie Coochie.” She also self-released the Coven Music Session, Vol. 1 mixtape in 2019, which set the social media world on fire. Doechii’s Dr. Seuss-inspired song, “Oh The Places You’ll Go,” certainly got the attention of the hip-hop masses. It was included on a mixtape of the same name, along with the tracks “What’s Your Name?” and “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake.” The latter track was a viral success, which helped to seal her contract with Top Dawg Entertainment and Capitol Records in 2020. Doechii’s first EP, Bra-Less, came out in 2021, just before she signed her record deal. By the time her second EP, She / Her / Black Bitch, came out in 2022, she was already making waves on streaming services and US airwaves. With Top Dawg now behind her — the label responsible for bringing us Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, and SZA — Doechii was ready to take on the world.Music releases
Since being signed, Doechii’s promising career has truly kicked into gear. The following releases are among her best:What It Is (Block Boy) ft. Kodak Black
This track was released by Doechii in 2023 as a non-album single. The original song featured American rapper Kodak Black, and numerous solo versions have also been released. Six variations of this track have been released in total, including creative sped-up and slowed-down versions. This was Doechii’s first single to enter the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 29. “What It Is (Block Boy)” is a fusion of rap nostalgia and pop vibes. It shuffles along at 90 BPM, with an energetic hook blending perfectly with playful verses and infectious lyrics. According to Doechii herself, “I feel like I’m showing off a side of my vocal range with this one that my fans haven’t really seen yet. I love using the old samples of ‘No Scrubs’ and ‘Some Cut’ to mix in some playful energy as well.”Alligator Bites Never Heal
This mixtape was released in late 2024, and it saw Doechii take off like never before. It features the singles “Nissan Altima,” “Boom Bap,” and “Denial Is a River,” which all achieved solid chart positions. This release features a number of upcoming and big-name producers, including Banser, Camper, Childish Major, and Devin Malik. While it’s technically a mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal won Best Rap Album at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. Doechii became the third female artist to win this category — an amazing accomplishment by any measure. This was a very personal release for the artist, who used these fighting words to explain the title: “This past year I’ve grappled with what felt like a relentless death roll in my life…This mixtape is my fight back. I am nobody’s prey; I was born to be the predator.”
Anxiety: The story behind the song
This is an older song for Doechii, but it’s taken on a second lease on life. “Anxiety” was originally self-released to YouTube in 2019 before being re-recorded in 2025. It’s her best-performing single so far, having reached no. 1 on the charts in Australia, Greece, Latvia, New Zealand, and Switzerland. It also hit the top 10 in the US and UK, along with several other countries. “Anxiety” has become a huge viral sensation, having inspired a new dance trend on TikTok. Using the song as background, people have been recreating Will Smith’s dance moves from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Until recently, “Anxiety” was only available on YouTube as part of her Coven Music Session mixtape. This gave the track a bootleg quality, which helped it gain traction immediately when it dropped for real. “Anxiety” samples the 2011 song “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye featuring Kimbra. This is one of the best (and most surprising) pop songs of recent decades, with Gotye singing about the pain of losing a romantic partner. Doechii flips the lyrics and vibe of the track on its head, rapping instead about the pain that accompanies constant worry. In many ways, “Anxiety” is the perfect song for the modern digital age. It’s about Doechii’s experiences with mental health, with the rapper describing the physical sensation of anxiety as a “tightness” in her chest, “like an elephant is standin’ on me.” This track is a battle between the lower and higher minds, with anxiety often threatening but people always fighting back. Throughout this song, anxiety is trying to “silence” Doechii by taking her power away. When she says, “Gotta shake it off of me” and “can’t let it caution me,” you can feel her inner demons rising to the surface. This song highlights the back-and-forth unease of anxiety, with Doechii rapping, “Can’t shake it off of me, shake, shake it off of me / It’s my anxiety, gotta shake it off of me.” This is a fantastic track for modern times, and Doechii really delivers. If you like fresh, dynamic hip-hop delivered with passion and purpose, put some Doechii tracks on your playlist today. This exciting artist is only likely to get better, so what are you waiting for?More Artists and Show Episodes
