Doechii Surprises Fans By Unveiling Her New Male Alter Ego Richardo

Doechii is a true hip hop original. She’s been putting music out for years, but her latest release has proven to be her breakthrough. Fans can’t seem to get enough of Alligator Bites Never Heal, and the attention Doechii has gotten has been well deserved. Instead of adhering to a traditional “star” mold, though, the rapper has remained as eccentric as ever. Case in point, the cover of Paper Magazine, in which Doechii can be seen rocking an afro, mustache, and fake abs. Meet Richardo.

Richardo is an alter ego of Doechii’s. The rapper talked about the origins of the character, and how it’s helped her communicate her art. She told Paper Magazine that she invented Richardo as a response to the negative things people would say about her appearance. “I started seeing comments from people who would say, ‘She looks like a man,'” Doechii recalled. “I was like, Since they keep saying I look like a man, I’m gonna f*cking give them a man. An eight-pack, mustache man.” The rapper said that she had lots of fun creating the character, and providing him with a backstory. “He’s from Panama, he’s bisexual,” Doechii asserted. “We came up with Ricardo.”

The rapper has always been fascinated by personas and alter egos. She described herself as a “theater kid” who used different characters to better understand her own feelings. “I want to make sure I can really give different characters,” Doechii asserted. ” I think that’s so important in telling stories.” She also joked about Richardo’s appearance. The rapper told Paper Magazine that the makeup turned out even better than she anticipated. “Literally, when I put on the prosthetics,” she recalled. “I was like, ‘Oh my god.”

Richardo may get most of the outward attention, being on the cover and all. That said, Doechii goes into detail about the ways in which she herself possesses different personas. “I’m alternative, kind of nerdy, super sexy,” she listed off. “Kind of awkward, conscious, but also I’m twerking and a*s-shaking.” It’s the same unpredictable blend that made her TDE debut such a critical success. Doechii admits she doesn’t know where her music is headed. However, that’s part of what keeps her excited about the creative process.