Review: Doechii at The Anthem on Oct. 21

(Photo Credit: Ariana Hameed and Minhal Nazeer)

Rising rap sensation Doechii performed at The Anthem in October as a stop on her Live From the Swamp tour. And live from the swamp she was, coming out on stage like a predator, laser-focused and dominant. Her set was divided into five “lessons,” playing into the schoolhouse motifs prevalent in everything from her music videos to her on- and off-stage fashion. Doechii was launched into fame by her performance on NPR’s Tiny Desk, her feature on Tyler, the Creator’s 2024 album Chromakopia, and her Grammys performance of her songs “DENIAL IS A RIVER” and “CATFISH.” 

The concert itself was a true testament to Doechii’s well-deserved rise into the spotlight, demonstrating her talents and the capacities of her creative mind. The concert can be best described as a production, where she was truly performing a show for the audience to sit back, watch, and groove along. Doechii brought out background dancers (her sisters) and her creative partner DJ Miss Milan, who augmented the performance with their own styles, talent, and passion. Everyone on stage was a creative family, feeding off one another and bringing the crowd into their community. Instead of a run-of-the-mill hour-long setlist speed-run with a brief break to acknowledge the city and their team, Doechii led a truly heartfelt showcase of her passion for this work. Her songs seamlessly transitioned into one another thanks to the skills of Milan, while she intermixed her own personal freestyles with samples from Beyoncé, Charli xcx, and Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” (the latter in her breakout hit “Anxiety”). In addition, she made it a point to recognize the crowd, shouting out college students (Doechii noticed me!) and even guiding the audience through a breathing exercise. This production truly embodied Doechii’s care for her craft, whether that was through her insane skill level to the diversity of her performance. There are very few rappers in the entire game who are able to rap with the same level of diction, intentionality, and rhythm as she can, while simultaneously shaking ass on beat.

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Ariana Hameed is a senior in the College studying American Studies and Computer Science, Ethics and Society. She is Co-Reviews Editor of the INDY. Minhal Nazeer is a sophomore in the SFS studying Culture and Politics. She is the Spotlight Editor of the INDY.