Self-titled as the ‘Swamp Princess’, Doechii brings her sense of humour from the very first minutes of the concert, with raspberries being blown amidst the playful rap of ‘BOOM BAP’. Her flow and lyricism come across effortlessly with seamless interjections from her band to highlight the more spoken word elements. Doechii has an incredible ability to perform, and her songs come across so emotively that watching her feels like witnessing a hip-hop opera. Her back and forth with the other musicians feels like a conversation between friends that we are invited to join.
Her background in hip-hop is indisputable, most recently with a feature on Tyler, The Creator’s new album 'CHROMAKOPIA'. Doechii even quotes from the older cats of the game, with a reference to the Digable Planets’ ‘Rebirth of Slick’ (or rather, ‘Stretching’ by Art Blakey and the Messengers) in her rendition of ‘DENIAL IS A RIVER’. Her artistry is clear, especially with ‘CATFISH’ and a funk/gospel version of ‘NISSAN ALTIMA’ which are infused with so much energy that I found myself headbanging with some serious bass face – much to the horror of other students in the library.
Doechii is one of the most consistently amazing upcoming artists, and her values of supporting Black women in the music industry only add to her authenticity. She shines light on not just what it means to be a strong and multi-faceted woman, but also on contemporary political strife through her music and her message. The hip-hop world will be watching her every move, and I have no doubt she will rise to the occasion with the same fun and flair that she has brought to recent concerts.