Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii
Alligator Bites Never Heal is the third mixtape by the American rapper Doechii, released on August 30, 2024, through Top Dawg Entertainment and Capitol Records. It was preceded by the singles "Nissan Altima" and "Boom Bap". The mixtape features production from a variety of producers including Camper, Childish Major, Kal Banx, Devin Malik and Monte Booker, as well as a sole guest appearance from rapper Kuntfetish. Alligator Bites Never Heal was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, while its lead single "Nissan Altima" received a nomination for Best Rap Performance and Doechii herself earned a nomination for Best New Artist.
On Doechii’s 2024 release, the Tampa-born rapper showcases the blend of clever rhymes with deep, philosophical musings that have punctuated early releases like 2020’s <i>Oh the Places You'll Go</i> mixtape and 2022’s <i>she / her / black bitch</i> EP. Lead cut “STANKA POOH” finds the Top Dawg Entertainment artist wrestling with her artistic mortality and role as a Black woman in music. She raps: “Let’s start the story backwards/I’m dead, she’s dead, just another Black Lives Mattered/And if I die today I die a bastard/TikTok rapper, part-time YouTube actor.” Obviously, Doechii aims to be bigger than viral clips and TV shows so small they can fit on your computer screen. On <i>Alligator Bites Never Heal</i>, Doechii asserts herself as one of rap’s most impressive bar-for-bar MCs. “DENIAL IS A RIVER” is a classic narrative cut in the style of Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story”, while “NISSAN ALTIMA” is an electro-rap thriller designed to keep the dance floor hot and heart rates up. She sums it up simply enough when she raps: “All beef gets smoked/I’m a real fly bitch, you in coach.”
