Donate now. The below list of names reflects just some of those from the music community we recently lost. Dre Global Impact Award. Doechii's rise from underground phenom to mainstream rap star has been fueled by raw talent, boundless creativity, and an unapologetic vision. Doechii knows how to command the moment. Born Jaylah Hickmon in Tampa, Florida, the year-old rapper grew up with an affinity for the arts. Encouraged by her mother, Celesia Moore — who stood beside her on Music's Biggest Night during her emotional acceptance speech — Doechii explored dance, gymnastics, and acting.
But it was poetry and music that ultimately became her true calling. Raised in a Christian, single-parent household, she shared a deep bond with her mother over an eclectic playlist, ranging from Paramore and Outkast to Nicki Minaj. She invented her IamDoechii moniker in middle school as an alter ego to escape childhood bullying, but wouldn't release music until high school, paving the way for her groundbreaking ascent.
In a interview with Spin Magazine , she recalled, "music was my goal. While enrolled at Howard W. Before she evolved into a genre-contorting artist, Doechii began connecting to fans, like most Gen Z artists, on the internet in the mid to late s.
A year later, she finally broke to mainstream acclaim with 's Oh the Places You'll Go, which housed her viral hit "Yucky Blucky Fruitcake," which went on to amass over 33 million streams on Spotify. The 7-track EP opens with a poem, harkening back to her spoken word roots, before entrancing listeners with a spiraling soundscape reminiscent of the animated styles of Nicki Minaj and Doja Cat.
In hindsight, the cathartic album served as a manifestation of her future and the release of her fears. Inspired by Barbara Park's adolescent Junie B. Jones book series, "Yucky Blucky Fruitcake" is Doechii's own coming-of-age tales. The 5-track EP is brazen, bold, and unabashedly Doechii.
