Tampa native Doechii has truly been “been ballin' all day like Brady.” Just look at the cover of XXL this month. The 22 year-old rapper has been selected as one of 12 artists featured in 2022's XXL Freshman Class—a coveted position for any up-and-coming rapper.
“The 2022 XXL Freshman Class is breaking the mold. They refuse to conform to the norm, and pride themselves on creating a fresh sound in hip-hop. Like the classes that came before them, these newly inducted rappers are aiming for superstardom,” the
XXL Magazine states in today’s announcement.
The Tampa rapper—totally slept on by Creative Loafing Tampa Bay in its
22 Rappers to Watch in '22 list—has experienced a quick rise in stardom after her 2020 single “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake” became the soundtrack of a popular Tik Tok trend called the “
why don't you introduce yourself to the class?” challenge.
Doechii—the self-proclaimed "Swamp Princess"— signed with the iconic label
Top Dawg Entertainment earlier this year, joining the ranks of groundbreaking artists like Sza, Isaiah Rashad, Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul.
One of her first TDE releases and most recent single is a Kal Banks-produced banger called
“Persuasive," inspired by "parties, community, friendships, gay people, gay culture, fashion, sex and liquor," according to Doechii herself.
She is also on the cover of Spotify’s “
Artists to Watch” playlist, has made recent headlines with publications like
Rolling Stone and Complex, and even made her national television debut last month on "
The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon."
Touching on everything from queer identity to class status and mental health, the rapper is known for creating aggressively upbeat songs about relatable, everyday topics.
For more information on Doechii—who now operates out of L.A. but
still reps Tampa hard—and the rest of the 2022 XXL Freshman class, visit
xxlmag.com/freshman. Other showcased up and coming rappers include Babyface Ray, Kali , KentheMan, Big30, SoFaygo and internet sensation Saucy Santana.
Another Tampa Bay-based rap group that’s making national (and international) waves is
They Hate Change—whose debut album "Finally, New" was recently listed as one of Consequence of Sound’s “
Top 12 Rap Albums of 2022 (So Far).”