Doechii on Her Late Discovery of JAY-Z’s Catalog and the Power of Hip-Hop Tradition

Tampa-bred MC Doechii, born Jaylah Ji’Mya Hickmon, has revealed a huge void in her musical education, admitting in a recently highlighted interview that she only just recently dug through all of JAY-Z’s discography. The Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) star revealed that her Southern upbringing kept her away from the East Coast legend’s catalogue during her early years, despite her quick ascension – culminating in a historic Best Rap Album Grammy win for Alligator Bites Never Heal. This regional gap is a generational shift in which digital streaming has enabled contemporary practitioners to study and synthesise blueprints of classic hip-hop retroactively.

“I’m from the south and I didn’t grow up on a lot of Jay-Z but I recently went through all of his discography.” Doechii said during her interview with Ebro Darden on The Ebro Show on Apple Music. “Oh my God!” she added, commenting on Shawn Carter’s growth. Everybody knows he’s crazy but damn. Hearing his growth?! Wow, so incredible. He’s so cool” The self-directed archival journey came as Doechii was heavily rotating other legendary lyricists, including the late MF DOOM, Westside Gunn and Tyler, The Creator, as she prepared her classic-leaning mixtape.

Such attention to hip-hop’s elite directly informed the raw, traditional lyricism of Alligator Bites Never Heal. Doechii rejected the modern commercial formulas, choosing classic boom-bap and soul elements as she sought to return the genre to its days of pure craftsmanship and emotional transparency. This deliberate ancestral alignment paid off in a big way, making her the first artist to ever win Best Rap Album with a mixtape at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in 2025, and then another Grammy win in 2026 for her visual masterpiece “Anxiety”.

2025	67th Annual Grammy Awards	Best Rap Album	Alligator Bites Never Heal	Won
2025	67th Annual Grammy Awards	Best New Artist	Doechii	Nominated
2026	68th Annual Grammy Awards	Best Music Video	“Anxiety”	Won
2026	68th Annual Grammy Awards	Song of the Year	“Anxiety”	Nominated

This transatlantic exchange of musical heritage is especially resonant for African and diaspora audiences who recognise hip-hop’s deep global roots. Doechii has been looking at Carter’s evolution, but Carter has spent years harnessing the revolutionary spirit of Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Alongside Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, Carter also co-produced the 2009 Broadway musical FELA!, which brought Kuti’s socio-political legacy to the global stage. His own work has always been steeped in a deep respect for African musical ancestry, whether it’s curating Tidal playlists with Fela’s ‘Zombie’ or overseeing the soundtrack for The Harder They Fall, which heavily featured Fela’s ‘Let’s Start’.

Doechii is carving her own path for the future of hip-hop, combining her Floridian trap sensibilities with classic East Coast lyricism and international Black traditions. She belongs to a long line of culturally literate artists who understand that to move forward one must have great respect for the past. As she continues her journey from viral TikTok anomaly to undeniable rap powerhouse, Doechii’s conscious study of legends such as Carter serves as a reminder to the diaspora that the essence of the genre is not found in chart algorithms, but in the tireless quest for artistic evolution.