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Denial is a river: dOECHII BECOMES QUEEN-OF-the-nile rap with ‘Alligators Bites Never Heal‘ Grammy bow.

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Platinum record this, viral record that. Rising star Doechii‘s mixtape of Alligators captures a rare talent and a countless genre to Doechii’s rare one-of-a-kind artistry with hip-hop originality.

It can be said that female strength in hip-hop is fruitful – but is not often widely recognised in the wider spheres. Since 1989 when the category was first introduced at the Grammys, only three female artists have won it – Lauryn Hill, Cardi B and now the new A-kid on the block – Doechii. A distinct voice with an even distinct soundboard, Doechii and her albino alligator has re-cultivated the cut of hip-hop once again with a sound as equally raw and fresh as those timeless artists before her. MF Doom-sequel samples and Tribe Called Quest dissonance to name a few.

So after her Grammy victory as Best Hip Hop Record of the Year, mvm takes a look to see what all the fuss is about.

The album swathes and gleans in swagger; not devoid of any immeasurable beats or lacklustre lyricism. Doechii delivers here like nothing held back full of arrogance and aptitude.

The album starts off almost with an introductory side-note – the first glimpse into the first porthole – before we’re met with a chunky-ass bass-line and swamped drums in the form of BULLFROG; an aggressor from the initial confrontation. The jarring bones and funky slip on BOILED PEANUTS is a let-up either; it’s still met with the who the f*ck are you? bravado as she divvies up her equal parts from her Tampa roots and Los Angeles, where’s she currently based now: “Gater skin coat, Florida heat no joke. Feel like the Tiger King, these bitches want mo’ Joe.” It’s a trailblazing hip-hop, rap caviar met with the highest delicacies. We’re then thrown into the swag of DENIAL IS A RIVER – the staggered piano flits and 808s are all that pretty much up the instrumentals but it’s the vocals that make this a Grammy-winning song and record for the Hip-Hop industrialists. The flow is cataclysmic here, so much so that it ends with Doechii’s now-trademark breathing exercises as she gets riled up. Catfish is another moody groove-filler, tapped with poignant low-bass singlets and feral instrumentals that make it so powerful – “Tell a bitch, “Hoorah!” Every 19 track is a window into Doechii’s individual artistry – each one standing tall and proud as the last.

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It’s emphatically bold and fresh in the world of rap – with a revival to ‘90s funk to many – and Jaylah deserves every bit of praise that comes her way.