The cover of the latest Doechii project, ‘ALLIGATOR BITES DON’T HEAL.’
Tampa MC and recent TDE signee Doechii just turned in a career-best effort with her latest mixtape, ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL. Here’s everything you need to know about her latest project.
ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL Brings Together Doechii’s Varied Styles
An early contender for the biggest song on ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL, “DENIAL IS A RIVER” is a perfect showcase of what makes Doechii so singular. Wedged in between a slew of odes to ’90s hip-hop, the Tampa MC takes pages from the likes of Biggie Smalls & Missy Elliot with cutting-edge storytelling and wordplay, adopting a bouncy, off-kilter cadence the whole way through.
With this being Doechii’s longest release under TDE, the breadth of the material included on ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL will serve as a true introduction for a lot of listeners. Along those lines, it allows fans of the label to get a better understanding of why the Tampa product ended up on their venerable roster. Some of the slower, introspective tracks here have the chilled-out vibe of an Isaiah Rashad, while the melodic sections unquestionably carry a SZA-esque atmosphere. Perhaps most striking is the vibe of early career Kendrick Lamar, captured with the inflection-bending voice work, or the knowing nod to his Untitled Unmastered on “BOOM BAP” with a refrain of “get top on the phone!”
Speaking of that track, it’s one whose overall success is very much tied to this being a “mixtape.” Rather than spending extended time on the Kanye West-esque “Lift Yourself” style parody, it’s quick in and quick out, allowing Doechii’s takedown of “real rap” to make an impact without overstaying its welcome.
A Few Stumbles Don’t Prevent A “Best Of” Type Project
On the contrary, a track like “BLOOM” has a hard ceiling as a result of the bite-sized approach many of these tracks take. The song is home to some of the most gorgeous production and vocal lines on the whole project, but all told, we get about 60 seconds of them working in concert after discounting an instrumental intro and a spoken outro. While Doechii gets the license to explore far more ground in just under an hour with the structure of ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL, there are unfortunately a few moments where it works against her interests.
Also in trademark TDE-signee fashion, the California imprint takes some shots further into the tracklist. On the guns-blazing, stream-of-consciousness cut “PROFIT,” Doechii reports that her label isn’t thrilled with the direction she’s going. With how solid the overall body of work is here, we’re left to wonder when in the process these lines were minted, but they’re sadly expected for anyone tapped into the Top Dawg-verse at this stage. The label is far from the only object of anger on this track, with the multi-hyphenate defiantly stating that “fans and critics don’t get statues.” (A biting yet well-understood shot for this writer in particular).
The Connections To Doechii’s More Prominent Work
As a final personal note, “Nissan Ultima,” is the crown jewel. Merging the “Persuasive”-style hip-house with the pure rap stylings showcased throughout this project results in one of the most energetic cuts so far in Doechii’s career, feeling at times like a decade-later to the in-your-face anthemic nature of Azalea Bank’s “212.”
All told, Doechii & ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL seem a virtual lock for “best of” consideration at the end of the year, which would mark a major achievement this early into her major label career. The full project is absolutely worth your time—you can catch it now wherever you stream your music.
Elsewhere in our coverage, Leonelle – For Me sees an up-and-comer flip an R&B standard.
