Lyrical Layers: Doechii on Healing and Heartbreak in Alligator Bites Never Heal

Doechii has long been a rising force in hip-hop, but her latest mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, takes her artistry to new depths. Released on TDE Records, the project combines raw emotion, sharp lyricism, and layers of meaning that reflect her personal and creative growth. On the Dissect podcast, Doechii sat down to unpack the lyrical intricacies of the mixtape, offering insight into her creative process and the personal scars that inspired the music.

The Weight of the Title: What It Means to Heal

The mixtape’s title alone evokes a sense of pain and perseverance. In the podcast, Doechii revealed that she’s still unpacking the meaning of Alligator Bites Never Heal. At one point, she compares the title to the enduring wounds she’s experienced in the music industry, saying, “I felt very wounded by the industry at one point... wounds that will never heal”​.

She elaborates that the metaphor extends beyond the industry, touching on deeper emotional struggles: “It’s like I’m trying to heal wounds that will never heal, but I relate that a lot to the industry and also to personal things in my life,” she explains​. This sense of unhealed scars echoes throughout the mixtape, adding layers of vulnerability to her bold and confident verses.

Lyrical Mastery: Double Meanings and Wordplay

A standout aspect of Doechii’s lyricism is her ability to weave together double and triple entendres, creating complex bars that reward careful listeners. One example of this is in the track “Bullfrog,” where she layers multiple meanings into just a few lines:

"Sippin' on a Mai Tai, money on the uprise,Left, right, uppercut, punchlines make ‘em duck"​.

Here, she plays with the imagery of both physical and lyrical punches, connecting the idea of a boxing match with the art of delivering clever punchlines in her music. It's this kind of dense, thoughtful writing that sets her apart from her peers and shows her deep respect for the craft of lyricism.

In her Joe Budden Podcast appearance, Doechii mentioned that her roots in hip-hop are tied to battle rap and boom bap, influences that shape her lyrical style. She says, “I grew up... I taught myself how to rap through boom bap beats... My first rap song I ever made was a diss track”​. This foundation in rap culture comes through in her intricate wordplay and sharp delivery, making each track a lyrical puzzle for her listeners to solve.

The Battle Between Art and Business

One of the recurring themes in Alligator Bites Never Heal is the tension between Doechii’s artistic freedom and the commercial pressures of the music industry. “I’ve been balancing my creative expression with business... my art as a commodity,” she explained on the Joe Budden Podcast​. This conflict surfaces in tracks like “Denial Is a River,” where she tackles the emotional toll of her personal relationships while also reflecting on her experiences in the industry.

In the track “Death Roll,” Doechii delivers one of the mixtape’s most poignant verses, addressing the internal battles she faced during her creative process:

“Fall to my knees, take a line, I need a boost,Stumble inside of the booth, mumbling none of the truth”​.

This raw honesty about her struggles with creativity, substance use, and self-expression is a theme that runs through the entire project. Her ability to confront these issues head-on in her music is what makes Alligator Bites Never Heal not just a mixtape, but a deeply personal body of work.

The Journey Toward Self-Discovery

As Doechii takes her fans on a lyrical journey, she’s also on a journey of self-discovery. On the Dissect podcast, she reflected on how the mixtape helped her overcome writer’s block and find her voice. “The whole pressure of the album was just... I was like, ‘F*** the album, I can’t deal with it anymore,’” she said, explaining how reframing the project as a mixtape allowed her to create more freely​.

The closing track, “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” ties everything together, marking a moment of reflection and growth. As Doechii describes it, the track is “a waltz with God,” a symbolic representation of her acceptance of the scars she carries and the resilience that defines her path​.