Entrenched in the inevitable doom scroll we all sink into every so often, our minds filter out any critical thought in favor of sonic distraction. Viral songs and sounds muddle our minds and they stop us from recognizing the talent of the innumerable artists behind the most iconic music of our era. That’s exactly what happened to Doechii, an artist most recognizable for her TikTok hits like “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” and the recent “Nissan Altima.” In the sea of TikTok’s algorithm, she seemed to drown under the waves of acts like Ice Spice and Sexxy Red—“artists” who consistently trade originality, creativity, and the spirited essence of hip-hop for a chance at the ever-dimming spotlight for black women in music.

Doechii doesn’t fit the commercialized and hyper-sexualized box of a female rapper; more and more black artists seem to find themselves amid the race for album sales in a hyper-competitive market. Instead, on her newest album Alligator Bites Never Heal, Doechii a Tampa native and self proclaimed “Swamp Queen,” revitalizes the spirit of hip-hop: earnest creative expression through poetic storytelling and trailblazing sound.

And if hip-hop ever deceived you into thinking black artists, especially black women, live the charmed lives plastered over flashy beats and catchy melodies by labels looking to make a buck off their backs, Doechii’s lead-off “STANKA POOH” flips that facade on its head. The lyrics “I’m dead, she’s dead, just another Black Lives Mattered/…/ TikTok rapper, part-time YouTube actor” sting the listener with the harsh reality of black people in general, and delves further into her own experience with the music industry. Doechii’s come up of going viral and then promptly being discarded by the public in favor of female rappers who play into harmful stereotypes, her struggles with this, and process of exiting a creative rut, singes the already bodacious lyrics in the album.

However, “DENIAL IS A RIVER” is a standout in this regard. Doechii first harkens back to old-school rap over Slick Rick’s classic “Children’s Story” beat, giving the song at first a playful levity as Doechii raps about her recent success upon releasing more viral songs. However, the genius of Doechii is apparent through lyrical structure as Doechii banters with a friend about her life, eventually revealing the dark truth: that the industry has destroyed her self-worth. Carrying on the underlying message of the previous songs lyrically, but sonically transitioning to Doechii’s current era—authenticity and confidence, key aspects of hip-hop that have been gradually disappearing in favor of viral hits like Doechii’s prior works. Similarly, chart-topping sound may be a staple on the album’s vivacious club track, “NISSAN ALTIMA,” but the hollow lyrics of Doechii’s past aren’t. While you might recognize the name (or more likely the song itself) from Tiktok, the punching lyrics, “I could really give a damn, I could really give a f—/long as you b— know what’s up,” are just one of the many instances that cement the creative purpose of the album. That Doechii finally recognizes she’s an artistic superstar, trailblazing herself across the musical cosmos, beaming with newfound confidence. And if we still try to pigeon-hole her as a mere “TikTok-Rapper,” that’s on us.

The last song on this remarkable first album, “ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL,” the album’s namesake, serves us a taste of the self-reflection needed to create it. Doechii trades her clever rhymes and bodacious lyricism for introspective poetry over an ethereal melody, “Farewell to the sunny days/Sashé through the cloudy days/ Dancing through the summer haze.” These three lyrics perfectly sum up Doechii’s rise from a young kid teeming with talent and dreaming of stardom, to a “TikTok” rapper breaking her back for an industry that seemed not to appreciate her. To now, a philosophical poet standing as an ingenious pariah in an industry filled with rappers who serve a single purpose: to entertain the masses, do what their label wants, and fit into stereotypes.

Doechii, however, not only stands out, but stands alone in her creative genius as she refuses to diminish her visionary talents for money, fame, or status. Genius that fully debuts itself on her best work to date, Alligator Bites Never Heal kicking off a new era for Doechii, and hip-hop as a whole.