Alligator Bites Never Heal

the take

I first heard of Doechii back in 2022 when she featured on a song on Smino's album "Luv 4 Rent" (I think that's what it's called). I didn't really have anything bad to think about her guest verse, but it just kind of came and went, although her verse on "Pro Freak" was fitting. It took me until AFTER seeing her perform at Camp Flog Gnaw in November 2024 to finally give her latest mixtape, "ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL", a listen. I still didn't know what to expect when I went into this, but by the project's end, I'm glad to say I really enjoyed this record. The production on here is incredible, as each song is different from the others and helps showcase Doechii's versatility, which she does so with ease. From boom bap to R&B-esque songs, there's a lot of variety on here. And for the main star of the show herself? She glided on each song with ease and succeeded every time, from bangers like "NISSAN ALTIMA" to smooth records like "WAIT". Doechii sounded like she was just having fun the entire time, while even being a bit introspective at times that makes the listener pay attention to what she has to say. Even though some of the highlights are more obvious on here, "ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL" is still an amazing album that can easily be seen why it won a Grammy. And although I wish I checked out her discography sooner, I'm glad this was a great starting point for me to do so starting now.