Rising hip-hop star Doechii picked up her first career Grammy on Sunday night (Feb. 2) with an emotional win for best rap album, for her breakthrough mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal.
The set beat out a handful of longtime superstars in the genre, like J. Cole, Future and Eminem, the latter being the most frequent winner in the category’s history with his six career victories. During an emotional speech that began with the rapper already in tears, Doechii shouted out how rare her victory was for a female artist in best rap album history.
“This category was introduced in 1989, and two women have won,” she started, before correcting herself: “three women have won — Lauryn Hill, Cardi B and Doechii.” She went on to further introduce herself to the national audience and shout out the music being made in her hometown: “There’s so many people out there who probably don’t know who I am. I call myself the Swamp Princess because I’m from Tampa, Florida. Tampa has so much talent… labels, go to Tampa.”
She ended her speech by shouting out the kids watching who might see themselves in her: “I know there is some Black girl out there [watching] and I want to tell you that you can do it. Anything is possible. Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes onto you… you are exactly who you need to be to where you are, and I am a testimony [to that].”
Doechii is nominated for two additional Grammys on the evening: best new artist and best rap performance for “Nissan Altima,” losing the latter in the pre-broadcast section of the evening to Kendrick Lamar for “Not Like Us.”
