Credit: Chris Parsons

Doechii was one of the biggest success stories of 2024, between her incredible Tiny Desk Concert and debut album Alligator Bites Never Heal, which was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards. She also earned a nomination for Best New Artist, and her song ‘Nissan Altima’ was nominated for Best Rap Performance.

Before all of the mainstream success, the rapper from Tampa, Florida released ‘Yucky Blucky Fruitcake‘ in 2020, which went viral the following year. She raps on the song, “Hi, my name’s Doechii with two i’s/ I feel anxious when I’m high/ Teachers say I talk too much/ Momma say I don’t talk enough/ In the dark, I’m like a torch/ From the hood, I hopped the porch/ I don’t bang or slang, on gang/ But my dada keep them thangs.”

‘Yucky Blucky Fruitcake’ was the song that got her signed to TDE (Top Dawg Entertainment), which has created stars such as Kendrick Lamar, SZA, ScHoolboy Q, Isaiah Rashad, Jay Rock, SiR, Ab-Soul, and others. The song’s title comes from a character in the 1992 children’s book series Junie B. Jones, written by Barbara Park and illustrated by Denise Brunkus. It was also the moment she had a breakthrough in terms of putting her true self out into the world.

“I had a turning point in my music. Just before I made ‘Yucky Blucky Fruitcake’, I was in a place where I was really afraid,” Doechii told Rolling Stone. “I just felt creatively blocked, like, I just wasn’t able to produce great work. I invested in a creative recovery in New York. I read this book called The Artist’s Way. It really inspired me to get extremely honest in my music.

“I was never very personal. I made songs that I thought other people would enjoy and I avoided talking about myself or my experiences growing up because I didn’t really think it mattered. I didn’t think anybody would really care or relate, but after reading that book, I just felt extremely inspired to be really, really honest in my music.”

She added, “That’s kind of become the whole core of my artistry. I have a belief that I am a mirror to people. I want to be able to be brave enough and trust God enough to say what it is that most people are afraid to say.”

Her approach proved to be a success. ‘Yucky Blucky Fruitcake’ was the song that changed everything and boasts over 50 million streams on Spotify, with the music video accumulating over 5.2 million views on YouTube.

Doechii discussed how she felt about the song blowing up and revealed she wasn’t going to get carried away with the viral success. “It’s really cool. Um, it’s just really cool. I don’t feel hella like, ‘Oh my god, like, I’m jumping out of my fucking skin!’ But I’m also not, like, mad about anything,” she said. “I’m just very focused on keeping it going. I’m taking it in, but I’m ready to go. I’ve already started thinking about my second album and albums to come.”