Doechii’s in-depth study of Jay-Z’s albums left her amazed by the rap icon’s artistic evolution.
Doechii and Jay-Z are two of the best rappers. The rising rap star (who is due to release a bona fide debut album) revealed that she recently took a deep dive into Jay’s catalog. She said she has a newfound appreciation for the goat.
I grew up with albums like Reasonable Doubt and then fell in love with The Blueprint and The Black Album. Doechii admits she views Jay-Z’s music from a different perspective. The 2024 conversation with Ebro Darden about Apple Music is back. A Tampa native, she wasn’t exposed to a lot of Jay-Z’s work growing up due to her Southern roots. Hmm…okay.
“I’m from the South, so I didn’t listen to a lot of Jigga growing up, but I recently went through all his records. Oh my God! Everyone knows he’s crazy, but damn! To hear him growing up?! Wow, that’s incredible. He’s so cool,” Doechii said.
Such is the power of Jay-Z’s work that spans decades. It also chronicles his evolution from street storyteller to business tycoon. For Doechii, it’s about witnessing an artist’s immediate development across multiple eras. Okay, forgive me for using the South as an excuse. 🙂
When she truly broke down in early 2025, she passionately defended rap against critics who underestimated the intellectual and technical abilities it required.
“I lean toward the sheer skill that goes into it. Anyone who doesn’t think hip-hop is an intellectual genre, I think that assumption is rooted in racism,” she said.
Doechii loved Lauryn Hill, who really broke out in 1998. She often cites Hill as a major influence on her, especially in terms of emotional honesty and vulnerability in her songwriting. I can feel it all in her music. I hope she doesn’t get stuck on one album like L-Boogie.
“When I listen to ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,’ I feel the same way I hope other little black girls feel when they listen to me,” explains Douche. “In order for her to feel that way, I had to talk about how I felt.”
Doechii is building her own legacy and I think she will still be around for years to come just like Jay and Lauryn.
