Doechii Warns Fans Of Anybody “Talking S##t” About Hip-Hop: “Ask Yourself What They Gain”
TDE rapper Doechii has shared her perspective on what she believes is the essence of Hip-Hop by emphasizing its profound connection to Black culture and its deeper purpose.
On Thursday (December 12), the Alligator Bites Never Heal lyricist shared a lengthy tweet packed with a series of powerful statements and calls-to-action for fans and creators to resist efforts to strip the genre of its soul and meaning.
“Hip-Hop has always been deep,” Doechii wrote in the tweet. “It’s always been complex and soulful. “We use Hip-Hop to evolve, to protest, to celebrate. Art and music play a role in why a lot of us are proud to be Black today. Our culture is all through these genres.”
Doechii soon pivoted to warn against what she described as a growing trend to disconnect Hip-Hop from its roots by diminishing its inherent depth.
“Don’t let these people brainwash you into disconnecting from the soul of Hip-Hop by convincing you it isn’t cool or it’s ‘too deep,’” she wrote. “It’s always been that deep for us, and it should stay that way. We created it! Once we lose the soul, we’ve lost the genre.”
Doechii also took aim at critics of Hip-Hop that encourage thought or emotion, suggesting there’s an ulterior motive behind such opinions.
“Anybody talking s##t about Hip-Hop that makes you think or makes you feel something should immediately be recognized as an opp,” she wrote. “Ask yourself what they gain from us watering down our music, taking the soul out, only discussing surface-level topics, and becoming less conscious.”
She concluded by challenging the Hip-Hop community to protect the integrity of the genre.
“Only a specific group of people benefit from us not being introspective,” she wrote. “Tighten up.”
Doechii’s passionate remarks reflect the strong sense of pride in Hip-Hop and the accompanying cultural context of the Black oral tradition, which has shined through her recent blockbuster primetime TV performances. In addition to making an appearance in the Steven Colbert’s Late Show, Doechii delivered an unforgettable performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk alongside an ensemble of Black women rocking matching braids and beads.
She explained, “I decided to perform this record because I think there’s been a lot of heightened emotions with the current state of our country.” Doechii added, “I wrote this song specifically for Black women. I feel like as a dark-skinned woman there’s a very unique experience that I’m trying to internalize…So I dedicate this to all the beautiful Black women in the room.”
Watch a portion of Doechii’s Tiny Desk performance in the post below.