Doechii gives hometown Tampa huge Grammy shoutout during rap album win

Doechii makes no secret of her recipe for fulfillment. Arduous work. Her coronary heart and soul. Household. Sobriety.

And Tampa. Tampa?

True. As she accepted her Grammy Award for finest rap album on Sunday, the Blake Excessive College alum bragged on her hometown, the place a decade in the past her voice sparkled on the performing arts magnet college.

“I name myself the swamp princess ’trigger I’m from Tampa, FLOR-I-DAH! There’s a lot tradition in Tampa,” a weeping Doechii advised the nationwide tv viewers. “Each time individuals take into consideration Florida, they solely take into consideration Miami. However Tampa has a lot expertise. Labels, go to Tampa. There’s a lot expertise there.”

Tampa has observed her, too. The Hillsborough County College District posted a congratulations on social media. But, for some cause she felt cause to inform the Grammy crowd, “There’s so many individuals on the market that in all probability don’t know who I’m.”

For these simply catching up:

“Swamp princess” is a great distance from when Jaylah Hickmon determined within the sixth grade to turn into Doechii, then set her sights on Blake to coach as an expert choral singer. A buddy inspired her to provide and launch her music on-line, and her “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” grew to become successful on TikTok in 2020.

Now, her Grammy for 2024’s “Alligator Bites By no means Heal” caps an astounding few years for the 26-year-old, who mixes R&B, hip-hop, jazz, boundary-pushing sounds and samples, and provides theatricality.

She turns into solely the third lady to win in the perfect rap album class because it was began in 1989, together with Lauren Hill and Cardi B, who introduced the award. At her aspect was her mom, Celesia Moore, whom Doechii credited with teaching her throughout these Tampa days.

After which, she shared much more inspiration.

“I do know that there is some Black woman on the market, so many Black ladies on the market, which can be watching me proper now, and I wish to let you know: You are able to do it. Something is feasible. Something is feasible,” she mentioned.

“Don’t permit anyone to undertaking any stereotypes on you, that let you know that you may’t be right here, that you just’re too darkish, or that you just’re not sensible sufficient, or that you just’re too dramatic, otherwise you’re too loud. You might be precisely who it’s worthwhile to be to be proper the place you’re, and I’m an affidavit proper now.”

LISTEN: Doechii performs on NPR’s “Tiny Desk” in December (warning: graphic language)

“Alligator Bites By no means Heal,″ Doechii’s third combine tape, went to No. 33 on the Billboard 200, No. 9 on the High R&B/Hip-Hop chart and No. 8 on the High Rap Album chart.

She additionally dazzled the Grammy viewers with performances of singles from the album, “Catfish” and “Denial Is a River,” backed by over a dozen dancers in matching Thom Browne fits as she ultimately bared all the way down to a white two-piece set.

Doechii has made no secret about her previous points with substance misuse however ultimately discovered the energy to give up alcohol, tobacco and even caffeine and located herself “excessive on life.” On Sunday evening, she felt it essential to incorporate that life change in her causes for fulfillment.

“I put my coronary heart and my soul into this combine tape,” she mentioned. “I bared my life. I went by way of a lot. I devoted myself to sobriety, and God advised me that I’d be rewarded and he would present my simply how good it could get.”

Data from the Related Press was used on this report.