If you’ve ever heard Doechii’s “DENIAL IS A RIVER,” you’d know that she’s no stranger to being brutally open and honest about her mental health. I mean, the entire song is basically a dialogue between her and her alter ego, who’s kind of playing a therapist role. She opens up to her(self) about traumatizing relationships, coping through drugs (“I’m not an addict”), and overall being in a really dark place in her life. And though the song is playful and funny, she’s able to relate to a lot of people who may be suffering and managing those emotions poorly.
So it’s no surprise that Doechii spoke about her mental health in depth in her recent cover feature with The Cut. Doechii is personally one of my favorite artists at the moment. And while her ability to transcend genres and just make good-ass music every time she touches a song is definitely one of the reasons I love her, she’s also always being so vulnerable and open — and her cover story is no different. I mean, you don’t win the Grammy for “Best Rap Album” for just being a great rapper — you make people connect with you and hear you for more than just your music (especially when you’re a newcomer in a category with nominations like J.Cole, Eminem, and Common).
Here are a few things Docheii said about her mental health journey that make her even more of a relatable queen than we ever thought possible.
Her Stage Name Saved Her Life
Doechii opened up about being severely bullied — to the point where she was suicidal. But it was because she reminded herself that she is Doechii, she was able to find peace in knowing that, well, she’s that girl.
“Fuck that shit! I’m not going for that! And this wash of peace came over me, and I received ‘I am Doechii,'” she told The Cut. “But it was more like this feeling of — I made a choice, a decision. I am the most important character in this movie. This is my motherfucking movie.”
Instead Of Chasing Accolades, She Uses Music As Therapy
While Doechii is pretty good at making hits, she explained that it’s not the reason she does what she does. In fact, some of her stuff is so experimental that she doesn’t know if it’ll land — but she feels genuine when she’s being vulnerable.
“I don’t like making music just for a moment,” she said. “I like to make music for therapy, for an inner experience, an inner purpose, and not just for an algorithm.”
Being Open And Honest Is All She Knows
When you think about artists and celebrities, “honesty” isn’t typically a word that comes to mind. But to Doechii, she can’t see herself making music without being true to how she’s feeling.
“I have moments where I am worried, and I’m like, ‘Maybe I should dial it back because that’s a little too honest,’ but I don’t give a fuck because I know that in the end, it’s going to pay off more for me to be real,” she said. “In my music, I have to be raw and explicit, or else it’ll make me uncomfortable.”
