No, Doechii Isn’t An “Industry Plant.” The Accusations Are Just Plain Misogynoir

A few years ago, Doechii was a little-known artist recording music from her bedroom and vlogging her come up on YouTube. Today, those circumstances are almost unrecognisable and that version of her career seems like a distant memory. Since the release of her 2024 mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, she’s ascended to an intense level of stardom that attracts both reverence and acclaim, along with scrutiny and criticism.

In just the past six weeks, she’s won a Grammy (becoming only the third woman in history to scoop the award for Best Rap Album), performed on stage with Lauryn Hill, been swarmed by fans at Paris Fashion Week and was named Billboard’s 2025 Woman of the Year. 

It’s a prestigious accolade that places Doechii in the company of icons like Beyoncé, Madonna, Taylor Swift, SZA and Lady Gaga, who have all taken home the crown in previous years. But as her list of accolades grows along with her singles, features and magazine covers, so does skepticism over the authenticity of her success. 

For months, rumuors have circulated online suggesting that Doechii’s new-found fame is the result of an orchestrated operation behind the scenes, with many accusing her of being an “industry plant.” The term which gained traction in the 2010s, describes artists whose seemingly overnight success appears manufactured rather than earned. Like most things on the internet, however, the term has lost most of its meaning and seems to be nothing but a catchall phrase for an artist people just don’t like. And what’s not to like about Doechii? Her rise has been anything but random. In January 2020, Doechii uploaded a video to YouTube to share her thoughts on what her fans perceived as a lack of progress in her career.

“I fear that I’m at a standstill because I don’t see my projects moving in the way or speed that I want them to,” she said at the time. “But then I had to think about that and I was like that’s not true. I feel inadequate because I don’t feel like my projects are moving fast enough for my audience. I don’t have a problem with the speed of my growth.” 

It was the buzz surrounding the critically acclaimed Alligator Bites Never Heal that first fuelled the “industry plant” rumours. Despite debuting modestly at #124 on the Billboard 200, a series of stellar music videos and performances — including a Tiny Desk Concert which has amassed 12 million views — helped to boost the rapper and singer’s profile. Doechii became instantly recognisable — a face that audiences could place alongside her music, rather than just the voice behind a hit song. Just read the comments under the video for her 2023 platinum-selling song, What It Is (Block Boy), which topped Billboard's Rhythmic Airplay chart. Many people were clueless that it was actually a Doechii record (myself included).

However, it’s an era that marks a clear evolution in Doechii’s artistry, both aesthetically and arguably sonically. In this era, she’s mostly opted for cornrows and a more androgynous, pared-back wardrobe. And gone are the drugs and alcohol which she has also been ridiculed for in the past, despite speaking candidly about her journey to sobriety

2023 was also the year that Doechii toured with Doja Cat and won the Rising Star award at Billboard’s annual Women in Music event. The year prior, she made the 2022 XXL Freshman Class and signed with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), home to SZA and formerly Kendrick Lamar. Milestones like these are a testament to Doechii’s grit, grind, and evidence that, despite critics’ claims, she didn’t just pop up overnight. 

In spite of this, the commentary persists across the internet, whether it be on X: “People don’t want to admit that Doechii is an industry plant because she’s darkskinned”; Reddit: “Industry plant and corny af”; Facebook: “Sold 11k opening week, released her album on the last day of the year that is allowed for Grammy eligibility and won best rap album. Clearly Kendrick's label made some type of deal to push her”; or YouTube: “Clearly an industry plant but she's also talented.”

She addressed the industry plant accusations in an interview with The Cut last month, but has otherwise remained tight-lipped. “When people aren’t familiar with the history of an artist these days, they get suspicious,” she said. “I’m pretty detached emotionally from it because I understand where it’s coming from. And to be honest, once you get any conspiracies around your career, that’s just confirmation that I’m going somewhere and I’m doing something right.”

While it’s reassuring to know she’s not feeding into the backlash, we’d be remiss not to try and pinpoint what caused these claims in the first place. Doechii is undoubtedly an anomaly. She’s an exceptional talent who can rap, sing, write, dance and perform better than many of her peers. She’s cultivated an unorthodox image that strays from pop culture’s obsession with exaggerated body enhancements (though she’s alluded to having undergone a Brazilian butt lift (BBL)) and the hyper-sexualisation which has become commonplace for women in music. 

She is also a dark skinned Black woman — very few of whom are able to attain the heights of success and adoration that their white and light-skinned counterparts seem to command with ease. Her dominating presence is an unapologetic middle finger to an industry that has long created insurmountable barriers for so many other women who look like her. Lastly, Doechii is openly bisexual, which has prompted ignorant and homophobic conversations that she is being pushed above the parapet to promote a “woke” LGBTQ+ agenda.

Are people so affronted that she’s been able to thrive so freely in spite of her individuality which in another lifetime could have easily worked against her? Do they feel like she’s undeserving because of her skin tone, or because she’s queer? Does she not adequately appeal to straight male sexual sensibilities?

Speaking of which, she certainly bruised some egos following the release of her recent Hot Ones Versus episode. When asked about her No. 1 dating red flag, she answered, “A straight man.” She elaborated: “I mean, strike one. You’re a man, and you’re heterosexual.” She was clearly joking, but to say she ruffled a few feathers would be an understatement, and with her name still embroiled in the controversy, her naysayers have been put on high alert. There’s no doubt that Doechii’s future is bright. But for an artist as outspoken as she is, her burgeoning fandom will inevitably be met with both admiration and controversy. Most would agree that her journey raises important questions about the music industry, representation and the complex relationship between talent, perception, and success.