Watch: Doechii's Video About Getting Fired Resurfaces After Her Grammy Win

Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon, known professionally as Doechii, is an American rapper, songwriter, and the current inspiration for all Black girls and women. Doechii won the Best Rap Album Award, her first Grammy, for "Alligator Bites Never Heal" during the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. Her performances of 'Denial is a River' and 'Catfish' will undoubtedly go down in Grammy history, which shows how deserving she was of her Hip-Hop Disruptor of the Year title (as awarded by Variety in 2024)

"I wanna tell you, you can do it. Anything is possible. Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you that tell you that you can’t be here, that you’re too dark or that you’re not smart enough or that you’re too dramatic or you’re too loud. You are exactly who you need to be, to be right where you are and I’m a testimony,” said Doechii in her acceptance speech.

Five years ago, Doechii was vulnerable with followers in a YouTube video about getting fired from her job. Now, that same video is resurfacing online and giving fans new inspiration after the 26-year-old hip-hop star won her first Grammy last weekend.

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But who is Doechii, and how did she become famous?

Doechii, 26, was born and raised in Tampa, Florida, into a very musical family. Her father and uncle were both rappers, with the former known as Snatcha Da Boss.

She was raised in a deeply religious home by her mother, Celesia Moore, who was actively involved in the church. She has younger twin sisters, and has always been an all-around talent who grew up doing ballet, tap dancing, cheerleading, and acting.

Doechii began writing poetry and rap at a very young age. In 2016, at the age of 18, she released her first song, under the name Iamdoechii, on SoundCloud.

Her song Yucky Blucky Fruitcake went viral on TikTok for the first time in 2021, and she started interacting with record labels. 

She was playing at Coachella by 2023, and her third mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, was released to critical acclaim last year.

However, what truly caught attention was her Grammys performance of the song, alongside Catfish, which you can watch here.

This win goes beyond reaching new heights for women in hip-hop. In everything she does, Doechii consistently represents Black women. With her first Grammy in her hand and the weight of her potential on her shoulders, she is set to be the next big thing in music you need to know about. And it's clear: This is only the beginning.