Doechii On Being Seen As More “Intellectual” Than Other Female Rappers

Doechii is a breath of fresh air for many who feel women in Hip-Hop have committed to just one way of getting their art across. Still, the Tampa rapper isn’t interested in being placed on a pedestal compared to her peers, especially other women.

The Grammy-winner’s new Cosmopolitan cover story finds the young artist reflecting on the fact that she is often othered as more “intellectual” and “deep” when it comes to discussions of women in modern-day Hip-Hop, and while that may seem flattering, it isn’t the goal in executing her art.

“I wouldn’t agree with that perspective,” she tells the publication of her being seen as more intellectual than her peers. “I’ve seen people describe me as ‘the female that,’ ‘she’s intellectual,’ ‘she’s hard,’ and ‘she’s scarin’ hos.’ I think what’s happening is people are trying to understand who I am as an artist, but they’re doing it in comparison to other artists, which I don’t think is necessary to interpret art at all.”

She goes on, “Critiquing art and interpreting art is an art form as well. It’s a skill. People have jobs interpreting art, so it’s not something that is commonly practiced the right way. So I understand why people are doing it, but I don’t like to get too caught up in all of that, you know?”

Doechii also addressed being a queer Black woman in Hip-Hop, saying, “This is such a Leo thing to say, but my literal existence as a queer Black woman is a major contribution to the hip-hop genre. I’m speaking truthfully from a queer Black woman’s perspective, and being honest about my life through my lens is amazing. That perspective is being highlighted, and we need queer perspectives.”

Check out the full Q&A here.