Singer, rapper and songwriter Doechii took audiences back to school for her immersive concert on Nov. 5 at Gallagher Square. Crowds dressed in shades of green, the color of her album cover for “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” and filled the square from front to back. As black and white visuals of Doechii flickered across the stage screens, spotlights shone down on the artist, who sat center-stage on a classic school desk.
Accompanied by DJ Miss Milan, Doechii opened the night with “STANKA POOH,” performing in front of a jumbo-sized record player, boombox speakers and two slides.
“What I especially enjoyed about her show was the structure of the concert, and the framing device of a school setting and each song or group of songs as lessons being taught,” said Aiden Yoshikawa, a fourth-year Asian studies and public administration major at San Diego State University. “That added context for each song, and the performances made it not only more enjoyable and entertaining, but helped the different songs from across her discography feel connected like one greater narrative.”
As Doechii rapped through her lyrics, the rhythmic and entrancing flow of her cadence produced a unique musical punctuation that echoed through the open-air venue.
“Her performance was super versatile,” said Daniel Ventura, a second-year finance major at SDSU. “Her stage presence is so good that it adds another layer to her singing and rapping, unlike any other rappers I’ve seen.”
2025 has been full of milestones for Doechii, whose fame skyrocketed in the last year due to hits such as “Anxiety” and “DENIAL IS A RIVER.”
Jaylah Ji’mya Hickmon, known professionally as Doechii or the “Swamp Princess,” won the Best Rap Album Grammy and received two nominations for Best Rap Performance and Best New Artist for her first studio album, “Alligator Bites Never Heal.” The inspiration for her nickname, album name and tour name comes from her hometown of Tampa, Fla.
“Especially with her being a female rapper in a male-dominated genre, her work is so inspiring and empowering,” said Hailey Jacildo, a 2025 graduate of SDSU. “The same goes for her emcee, DJ Miss Milan.”
The crowd screamed with excitement when “NISSAN ALTIMA” started to play, a song featuring extremely quick rapping with lyrical speed that would leave even an Olympic swimmer out of breath.
“I really enjoy Doechii’s music because she’s one of those artists with craft,” Jacildo said. “I admire her passion to create great music; she loves storytelling in such a sick way with her lyricism and flow.”
Although not every song was accompanied by a sing-along, attendees danced throughout the night. Some even turned to those next to them and danced together – a brief exchange of positive energy between strangers.
“The storyline in her show, the theme and her performance were really spot on for her discography, and the crowd honestly furthered the vibes, making it memorable,” said Patrick Dela Rosa, a fourth-year nursing major at SDSU.
The lights cast the stage in a shade of deep red as Doechii led the audience in a hard rock version of “Anxiety.” This was followed by “DEATH ROLL,” which Doechii said is “one of [her] favorite records because it’s the most vulnerable,” and “BOOM BAP,” which Doechii said “shifted [her] career and [she] didn’t expect it to.”
Doechii then took a moment to honor her supporters.
“Thank you so much for defending me online from the trolls, and the haters and the bigots,” Doechii said.
The audience cheered, many of them waving LGBTQ+ pride flags high in the air as she said this.
The suspense in the audience began to build when the music video for “DENIAL IS A RIVER” started playing on the screens – fans knew it was almost time for the song they had been waiting for.
“DENIAL IS A RIVER” follows the format of a conversation between Doechii and her therapist, during which she humorously recaps the ups and downs of her life in the last few years.
Unlike a typical concert, there weren’t many phones visible in the audience, and most of the crowd was simply living in the moment.
Doechii instructed the audience to find someone to hold hands with as she performed “WAIT,” even encouraging people who came alone to hold hands with a stranger.
In a true concert fashion, the crowd started cheering for an encore the moment Doechii left the stage. Doechii then asked the audience which song they wanted, to which most responded by yelling “Yucky,” referring to her 2020 song “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake.”
As the concert came to a close, the rush of attendees flowed like a river out of Gallagher Square, the air filled with people gushing over the night, along with the nostalgic smell of sizzling hot dog carts.
“It was AMAZING,” Jacildo said. “Her energy and stage presence were so high throughout the whole show that even I stayed energized. I was screaming and jumping the whole time, and I hope she can come back to San Diego at a bigger venue in the future.”
