DOECHII

words by Michael Cuby
images by Kanya Iwana

Doechii has always set intentions for herself.

"I don't know how to explain this, but I just feel very intuitive and I know when I'm ready for certain things," the rapper tells me matter of factly one July afternoon, sitting at home in Los Angeles as she gets her glam done before a busy day of content creation and music making. "I have a very deep spiritual connection with God, so a lot of my intentions are just set from visions that I get."

Take her name, for example. Born Jaylah Hickmon, the recording artist started going by "Doechi" in middle school in a bold move to separate herself from her more conformist peers. "Na kasance kamar, you know what? I'm going to be who I am. I'm going to be a superstar and brand myself." Though she "didn't even know what 'branding' was at the time," she knew she was meant to stand out. "I started wearing these tutus and coming up with silhouettes, just implementing my creativity. I started to mold this woman that God kept showing me I would be. And now, I'm her."

Whatever God's vision was, it must have included great success. Over the last seven years, Doechii has risen from the depths of Soundcloud to the upper reaches of the Billboard charts. Though she's yet to release an official debut album, she's already scored collaborations with artists like Janelle Monáe, Ravyn Lenae, and SZA. Doja Cat is a huge fan, as is UGK's Bun B. She's such a hot commodity right now that, when asked to reflect on 2023 alone, she has to pause to refresh her memory. "Coachella. Waƙara ta farko mai yin jadawali. Kuma Billboard Women In Music ya kasance wannan shekarar ma, dama?" (Ya kasance. Ta lashe lambar yabo ta Rising Star Award.) Saitin niyya ya yi aiki a fili ga Doechi ya zuwa yanzu. Don haka lokacin da ta ce, "Daga karshe, zai yi kyau idan mutane suna tunanin 'al'adar pop,' sun yi tunani game da ni," yana da wahala kada a yi sallama a cikin sanin yarjejeniya.

A ranar kiranmu, Doechi's latest single, "Me Yake (Block Boy)," ya kai sabon kololuwa akan jadawalin, yana matso kusa da saman Billboard 50. Shine waƙarta ta farko da ta fara yin haka. Waƙar, a "nostalgic" R&B anthem that foregrounds her buttery soft vocals, wani jigo ne daga wakokin da ta nuna akan sana'ar yin rap kamar na bara. "Mahaukaci" amma mai zane, wanda ya kirga Lauryn Hill da Erykah Badu a matsayin mabuɗin wahayi, ya kasance wani abu ne na hawainiyar kiɗa. Tampa, Ƙwararren ɗan ƙasar Florida yana daga cikin roƙonta. Abin da ya sa Top Dawg Entertainment ta lura da ita, wanda a shekarar da ta gabata ya sanya mata hannu a matsayin mace ta farko da ta yi raye-raye a jerin sunayensu.

Doechi bai fara da manyan buri na lakabi ba. Mawaƙin ya fara yin kiɗan nata ne lokacin da take zuwa makarantar sakandaren wasan kwaikwayo, ayyukan taimakon kai da kuɗaɗen da ta yi daga shahararriyar tashar ta YouTube da "Tsaya Wake, Tsaya Baƙar fata" kasuwancin hoodie. Amma bayan nasarar gida ta 2020 Oh wuraren da zaku tafi EP (da TikTok viral single "Yucky Blucky Fruitcake"), Doechi ya san cewa sanya hannu shine mataki na gaba na dabi'a. "Ba kawai na so in zama mai fasaha mai zaman kansa ba, " ta yarda. "Ina so in zama babban tauraron duniya." Duk da nuna sha'awa daga alamu da yawa, Doechii landed with TDE because of its legacy and the creative freedom she felt they provided. "Plus, it's Black owned," she adds. "And that was very important to me."

Being on a label made famous for breaking stars like Kendrick Lamar and SZA has, naturally, come with a fair amount of "good pressure." But as a former gymnast, Doechii thrives through regimented discipline. Since signing, she's only expanded her following, gaining new fans with the cheekily titled, five-song EP she / her / black bitch. (The title originated as a joke it's a reference to both Kendrick Lamar's "The Little Homies" production company and Diahann Carroll's infamous line about being "the first Black bitch on television.") She's also become a must see live act. After annihilating the Coachella stage this past April (and the BET Awards last summer), she's now gearing up to open for Doja Cat's highly anticipated Scarlet Tour this fall.

And that's not to mention her work on screen. Earlier this year, Doechii appeared in Earth Mama, Savanah Leaf's critically acclaimed A24 debut about a pregnant mother's struggles with the legal system. Playing the protagonist's super religious (and at times judgmental) best friend, Doechii exhibited a natural radiance on screen though that came as no surprise for anyone who has seen her inventive music videos. "The same way I tap into real emotions on stage is the same way that I tap into them on camera," the artist says of her first acting experience. "I'm just very in tune with my emotions, kuma ina son aiwatar da su a duk lokacin da nake yin wasan kwaikwayo."

Yana da ban mamaki abin da ta samu yayin da ta kasance mai gaskiya ga kanta. A matsayin littafin karatu Leo, Doechi yansandan zama "mai tsananin buri da aminci da alfahari, amma kuma har kasa." Mutum zai iya ganin Leo dinta kamar kwarin gwiwa a cikin yadda ta fito fili ta zagaya asalinta. Ko da yake har yanzu yana zaune a ciki "jajayen wuya, wariyar launin fata, yan luwadi" Tampa, ta tuno tana fadawa kanta, "Lafiya, yarinya, kuna son 'yan mata. Wanene ya ba da kunya?" (Ita kadai ta sani daga garinsu, Matiyu, har yanzu gashi har yau.) And now, kamar yadda Doechi ke matsawa kusa da al'ada, ta kiyaye wannan hali, cikin alfahari tana tattaunawa game da jinsin ta ta hanyar kiɗan ta a cikin waƙoƙin ta, duka, da abubuwan gani, kamar yadda ta yi da falon ya yi tasiri "Lallashi." "Ba abu ne mai girma ba. I just love who I love and that's it."

Ta yi hasashe da yawa a lokacin shekarun haihuwa 24 (ta kusa 25, koda tana son wasa ce ta kusa juyowa 21), amma har yanzu akwai sauran abubuwan da Doechi ke son cim ma yayin da aikinta ya ci gaba. "Ina buɗe don yin kusan komai a cikin kasuwancin nishaɗi," Ta fad'a a k'asa. "Wata rana, Ina so in yi umarni. Watakila zan kasance a cikin fashion. Ba na kusa da komai." Lokacin da aka danna kusan shirin shekara biyar, Ta fada tana so "guduma fitar da wani album kowace shekara na gaba shekaru uku masu zuwa." Kuma bayan haka? "Ɗauki hutun shekara guda kuma ku dawo tare da kundi na ban dariya don jin haushin mutane kuma ya zama kundi mafi ƙiyayya a kowane lokaci."

Ina tsammanin tana wasa, amma tare da Doechi, ya kamata a ko da yaushe ya yi tsammanin abin da ba zato ba tsammani. Ta gaya mani sosai lokacin da take tsokanar babban kundi na farko mai zuwa, wanda ta nace har yanzu yana kan hanya don a 2023 saki. ("Tabbas kafin in tafi yawon shakatawa da Doja," tayi alkawari.) "Za ku yi rawa. Zai kasance mai daɗi sosai," ta saki jiki. Ta ci gaba da faɗin sauran, kawai tabbatar da cewa sabon aikin zai kasance mafi mahimmanci fiye da kowane abu a cikin hotunan ta. Zai zama kuma wani jigon Doechi, koda abu daya ya rage. "Ba na so in ba da komai," Ta ce. "Amma na halicce shi da kyakkyawar niyya."

Zafi Kamar Wuta Batun 23