This week, Doechii showcased the importance of never forgetting where you come from. After being nominated for four Grammy Awards earlier this month, the Florida-born rapper made a special tour stop at her alma mater, Howard W. Blake High School, a Tampa-based performing arts high school.
“I couldn’t perform in my hometown without going back to where it all started, Howard W. Blake High School,” she wrote on X, sharing a video recap of the assembly she hosted for her alma mater’s students.
As she stepped out of her car, the rapper was greeted by the school’s marching band and dance team, the Yellow Jackets. Dancing along, Doechii thanked the students for the warm welcome, noting how “incredibly talented” they were. As the rapper walked through the school’s campus to the auditorium where the assembly was being held, she was met with cheers and applause from current students.
“[I]t feels so good to be back. Thank you for welcoming me like this,” she said. “I haven’t been to Tampa in a really long time, and it feels really warm to be back in this theater.”
“I remember showing up to audition for the chorus program with no training and no ability to read or compose music. I remember my chorus teacher asking me if I came with sheet music, and all I had was the ‘At Last’ instrumental from YouTube (the Beyonce version of course) and an aux chord,” she reflected in the post’s caption. “I was accepted into the program b/c of my talent and because my mentors saw a seed and watered it. By the time I left performing arts school, I was writing and reading music. More than ready to go independent as an artist!”
During the assembly, the “Nissan Altima” rapper opened up about the times when she felt like giving up.
“There was a moment in my career where I did feel like giving up. What changed that was staying surrounded by people who were good to me and who I was and grounding myself back in the fact that I love music,” she said, answering a student’s question. “I think that when you’re a true musician, music always follows you, and you can’t escape it no matter how hard you try.”
This year, Doechii made her mark with the release of her third mixtape, “Alligator Bites Never Heal.” The project earned her four Grammy nominations, making her the most nominated female rapper for the 2025 Grammy Awards.
For “the future icons of entertainment” who may have missed her speech, Doechii shared the key takeaways on X: “[T]ake advantage of the resources available to you right now (because it costs [a lot of] money to get training when you’re older lol), get to class on time, practice at home while others are sleeping and collaborate with your peers.”
“You have a gift, hone it, use it and be proud of it,’ she continued. “When opportunity meets preparation, A STAR IS BORN.”
