Who is Doechii, the critically acclaimed rap phenom up for Grammys best new artist?

Singer-songwriter and rapper Doechii's ascent has been as steady as her flows.

The Tampa, Florida native has long been a star to watch, from her 2019 compilation "Coven Music Session, Vol. 1" to breakout 2023 single "What It Is (Block Boy)."

But it was the 26-year-old's critically acclaimed 2024 mixtape, "Alligator Bites Never Heal" — a lyrical exhibition that is equal parts contemporary R&B ("Slide"), introspective "real hip-hop" (a trope Doechii has fun with on "Boom Bap") and braggadocious rap ("Nissan Altima," "Catfish") — that earned Doechii her first three Grammy nominations, including best rap album and best new artist at the 2025 awards.

Doechii faces stiff competition from meteoric powerhouse Chappell Roan, pint-sized "Espresso" hitmaker Sabrina Carpenter and "A Bar Song" breakout Shaboozey, along with Benson Boone, Khruangbin, RAYE and Teddy Swims. But the rapper-singer has some impressive co-signs.

Former Top Dawg Entertainment labelmate Kendrick Lamar has given her props, calling her "the hardest out" upon the release of her latest drop. In 2023, she opened for both Beyoncé on her record-breaking Renaissance World Tour and Doja Cat on her Scarlet Tour.

The former would go on to name Doechii (as well as Memphis MC GloRilla) as one of her favorite rappers right now, while the latter said of Doechii's place in the music industry: "We need you."

Not to mention, she boasts standout features on Katy Perry's "I'm His, He's Mine" (debuting the song in a risqué performance at the VMAs) and a high-octane verse on Tyler, the Creator's "Balloons."

The self-proclaimed "Swamp Princess" also delivered a set of viral live performances in late 2024 — at Tyler's Camp Flog Gnaw, on NPR's Tiny Desk and an interpretive (and self-choreographed) performance of her tracks "Denial is a River" and "Boiled Peanuts" on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" — that made casual fans into believers.

Here's more about the rap starlet ahead of the 2025 Grammy Awards.

Why is her name Doechii?

Born Jaylah Hickmon, at 11 years old, Doechii crafted her alter-ego in her diary after getting bullied. "'I am Doechii.' It literally just came to me," she told Vulture in 2022.

The persona led to a boost in her confidence that fans can still hear in her music today.

"Jaylah might've been getting bullied, but I decided Doechii wouldn't stand for that (expletive)," she continued. "My whole attitude was different. It stuck."

How was Doechii discovered? What song is Doechii famous for?

After the release of "Coven Music" and 2020's "Oh The Places You'll Go," Doechii achieved viral fame for her TikTok-viral track "Yucky Blucky Fruitcake" in 2021. The traction from the record led to her signing to TDE, where she dropped the singles "What It Is (Block Boy)" and "Persuasive" (with a remix from SZA) and her first major-label EP "She / Her / Black b----)."

Since then, social media chatter has continued to highlight the rap singer as someone to reckon with, culminating in the release of the full-throttle single "Nissan Altima" from "Alligator Bites." The mixtape is her first project to chart on the Billboard 200 and is one of just a handful of mixtapes to ever get a Grammy nomination.

The video for her melodramatic "Alligator Bites" track "Denial is a River" — in which the rapper goes back and forth with her therapist-alter-ego about a closeted boyfriend cheating on her and other personal struggles while in the limelight — has gained popularity as well, parodying classic 1990s sitcoms and featuring cameos from Zack Fox and labelmates SiR and Schoolboy Q.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Grammys 2025: Meet Doechii, a best new artist nominee