Alligator Bites Never Heal (2024)

Alligator Bites Never Heal is the second mixtape by the American rapper Doechii, released on August 30, 2024, through Top Dawg Entertainment and Capitol Records. It was supported by the singles "Nissan Altima", "Boom Bap", and "Denial Is a River". Other tracks include "Boiled Peanuts" and "Catfish". The mixtape features production from a variety of producers including Banser, Camper, Childish Major, Kal Banx, Devin Malik, Monte Booker, and DaedaePivot from Pivot Gang, as well as a guest appearance from rapper Kuntfetish. It is the first mixtape released by Top Dawg since Jay Rock's Black Friday in 2010.

Alligator Bites Never Heal was met with critical acclaim from critics which led to a Best Rap Album win at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, while its lead single "Nissan Altima" received a nomination for Best Rap Performance and Doechii herself earned a nomination for Best New Artist.

Background and promotion

After finding viral success on TikTok with her single "Yucky Blucky Fruitcake" in 2021, Doechii was signed to Top Dawg Entertainment and Capitol Records in March 2022, becoming the first female rapper signed to the former. In August of that year, she released her second EP and first major-label record, She / Her / Black Bitch, featuring a remix of the single "Persuasive" with TDE label mate SZA.

While promoting the EP in 2022, Doechii stated in an interview with Rolling Stone that she was working on her debut album, which included studio sessions with Pharrell Williams and Babyface. After achieving her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 with the single "What It Is (Block Boy)" featuring Kodak Black, she stated in an August 2023 interview with PopSugar that she "just came back from Jamaica finishing [her debut album]," and alluded to releasing it before supporting Doja Cat on The Scarlet Tour. However, no official release date was announced. She continued to regularly release standalone singles, including "Pacer" in September and "Alter Ego" featuring JT in March of the following year.

On July 12, 2024, Doechii began releasing a series titled Swamp Sessions through social media; these were short songs that were written and recorded in hour-long periods, each accompanied by a music video. The third Swamp Sessions installment, 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 Heal was officially announced as her first mixtape released by major label, with the track list being revealed six days later on August 20. Three days later, the sixth and final Swamp Sessions installment, titled "Boom Bap", was released as the second single. "Denial Is a River" was released to rhythmic contemporary radio stations as the mixtape's third single on January 14, 2025. "Anxiety", released on March 4, 2025, was added to the digital reissue as the fourth single.

On August 3, 2025, Doechii announced the "Live from the Swamp Tour" in support of the mixtape during her Lollapalooza performance. Her debut headlining tour, it is scheduled to run from October to November 2025.

Title and artwork

Doechii described the concept behind the title in a statement posted to Instagram accompanying the mixtape's announcement:

The alligator performs a spinning maneuver known as the "death roll" to submerge and dismember its prey underwater. This past year I've grappled with what felt like a relentless death roll in my life... A dance of drowning in my own vices, battling differences with my label and a creative numbness that broke me. [...] In my research about alligator attacks, I found that a common thread in each survivor was that the main reason they survived is because they fought back. This mixtape is my fight back. I am nobody's prey; I was born to be the predator.

Additionally, the American alligator is the official state reptile of Doechii's native Florida, and is known to inhabit swamps, thus making the title a tribute to Doechii's home state, and to her nickname, the "Swamp Princess".

The cover art shows Doechii sitting on a chair holding an albino alligator named Coconut, currently housed at The Reptile Zoo in Fountain Valley, California. The cover was shot by Los Angeles-based photographer John Jay. It is a reference to the cover of Minnie Riperton's 1975 album Adventures in Paradise.