Alligator Bites Never Heal

Alligator Bites Never Healis the thirdmixtapeby the American rapperDoechii, released on August 30, 2024, throughTop Dawg EntertainmentandCapitol Records.It was supported by the singles "Nissan Altima", "Boom Bap", and "Denial Is a River". The mixtape features production from a variety of producers including Banser,Camper,Childish Major, Kal Banx, Devin Malik andMonte Booker, as well as a sole guest appearance from rapper Kuntfetish.
Alligator Bites Never HealwonBest Rap Albumat the67th Annual Grammy Awards, while its lead single "Nissan Altima" received a nomination forBest Rap Performanceand Doechii herself earned a nomination forBest New Artist.
After finding viral success onTikTokwith her single "Yucky Blucky Fruitcake" in 2021, Doechii was signed toTop Dawg EntertainmentandCapitol Recordsin March 2022, becoming the first female rapper signed to the former.In August of that year, she released her secondEPand first major-label record,She / Her / Black Bitch, featuring a remix of the single "Persuasive" with TDE label mateSZA.
While promoting the EP in 2022, Doechii stated in an interview withRolling Stonethat she was working on her debut album, which included studio sessions withPharrell WilliamsandBabyface.After achieving her first entry on theBillboardHot 100with the single "What It Is (Block Boy)" featuringKodak Black, she stated in an August 2023 interview withPopSugarthat she "just came back fromJamaicafinishing [her debut album]," and alluded to releasing it before supportingDoja CatonThe Scarlet Tour.However, no official release date was announced. She continued to regularly release standalone singles, including "Pacer" in September and "Alter Ego" featuringJTin March of the following year.
On July 12, 2024, Doechii began releasing a series entitledSwamp Sessionsthrough social media; these were short songs that were written and recorded in hour-long periods, each accompanied by a music video.The thirdSwamp Sessionsinstallment, titled "Nissan Altima", was released onto Instagram and YouTube on July 27, 2024, and would be released on streaming platforms almost a week later on August 2.
On August 14, 2024, Doechii's 26th birthday,Alligator Bites Never Healwas officially announced as her first mixtape under a major label,with the tracklist being revealed six days later on August 20.Three days later, the sixth and finalSwamp Sessionsinstallment, titled "Boom Bap", was released as the second single."Denial Is a River" was released torhythmic contemporaryradio stations as the mixtape's third single on January 14, 2025.
Doechii described the concept behind the title in a statement posted toInstagramaccompanying the mixtape's announcement:
Additionally, theAmerican alligatoris the official state reptile of Doechii's nativeFlorida, and is known to inhabitswamps, thus making the title a tribute to Doechii's home state, and to her nickname, the "Swamp Princess".
The cover art, which shows Doechii sitting on a chair holding analbinoalligator,was shot byLos Angelesbased photographer John Jay.It is a reference to the cover ofMinnie Riperton's 1975 albumAdventures in Paradise.
According to the review aggregatorMetacritic,Alligator Bites Never Healreceived "generally favorable reviews" based on aweighted averagescore of 79 out of 100 from 6 critic scores.Doechii's stylistic versatility received particular attention,with Mankaprr Conteh ofRolling Stoneidentifyingboom bap,EDM, andsoulelements appearing at various points on the project.Though many critics felt favorably about this versatility,Clash's Ana Lamond was more reserved in her appraisal, remarking that "the tracklist becomes a victim of its own length" during the moreR&B-influenced songs.Doechii's writing throughout the mixtape was also commended: Conteh stated that she displayed "a wicked pen and brilliant charisma",and Kyann-Sian Williams ofNMEdescribed her as a "witty, comical songwriter".Doechii's attempts to establish a position within the music industry have been identified as among the mixtape's primary themes. Williams noted that she discusses "industry politics and label demands" on the project, and described a "sense of being trapped or feeling inadequate" on many of its tracks;Lamond remarked that Doechii portrayed herself as torn between "personal relationships, vices, self-worth, and perceived success".
The song "Denial Is a River" was named by multiple critics as a highlight ofAlligator Bites Never Heal: Lamond opined that the track "unveils Doechii at her best", and Conteh called it "an immaculate display of her quirks, relatability, and tenderness".The single "Boom Bap" also achieved praise for its lyrics, in which Doechii was perceived as criticizing traditionalists' views of howhip hopshould sound.
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