In a Manhattan rehearsal studio, the best young MC of 2024, Doechii, was quietly reading a book about the famous painter Jean-Michel Basquiat. Surrounded by a setting-up band, she was in search of visual ideas for her own output. Doechii has been grinding for years and in 2024, her mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal made her a lyricist lover's favorite. She's already building for the future with her wildly anticipated debut album next year.

Unveiling the Artistry of Two Southern Sensations

Doechii's Journey to Stardom

Doechii's path to success has been a long one. Growing up with a theater background, she brings a unique theatricality to her music. Her rhymes, flows, and voice filled with various tones have won the hearts of many. She embodies the character of each story she tells, just like in theater. Hip-hop gives her the freedom to be animated, and she's inspired by artists like Busta Rhymes. Her music scene in Florida is raw, with a party culture and community coming together. It's where her roots lie.When asked about her life as her career ascends rapidly, she said, "It took me a long time to get here. A looong time. But yeah, I do feel a little surreal. I wake up and I'm like, what is actually happening right now? I feel like I'm walking on the ceiling and I'm floating, which is a good thing, but I'm also like, where's the ground?"

Brittany Howard's Musical Odyssey

Brittany Howard has been flying high for years. After years as the lead singer of Alabama Shakes, she released her first solo album, Jaime, in 2019 and her second, What Now, in 2024. She grew up in Alabama and worked for the US Postal Service before becoming a star. Now with five Grammys and a global fanbase, she's a powerful performer.When she breezed into the rehearsal space an hour after Doechii, she quickly set up and got the place feeling like church with an upbeat blues. She stands in the middle and projects her power like a Baptist preacher. Both she and Doechii are Southerners with deep things to say through music.When asked about what she likes about Doechii's music, she said, "I hear her in her music. I hear her playfulness. I hear her pain. When I listen to her music, I'm hearing a whole person, and I love that. I feel like it's like going out with your friends."

Refilling the Cup

How do these two powerful women refill their cups? For Doechii, it's by isolating herself, having solitude, and spending time with God to process and make art. She said, "I fill my cup up by isolating myself and having solitude. Time to just meditate and spend time with God and process what’s on going."For Brittany Howard, it's spending time with her family and going fishing. She said, "My whole thing is spending time with my family. That always fills my cup up. And I’m an Alabama girl, so I like to go fishing. That’s what my dad taught me to do when I was a little girl, and I refound it after having success musically."

Being a Woman in the Industry

Doechii thinks it's a great time for women in hip-hop music. She figured out how to be a leader and stern yet respectful. She said, "I think it’s a great time for women, especially in hip-hop music right now. It is a really good time. There are challenges to being in a male-dominated industry. I figured out how to be a leader, how to be stern and respectful, and it’s brought me to where I am now. But I’m just a girl! I’m trying my best."Brittany Howard also noticed a change. She said, "Since I came into the industry I’m seeing a lot more women in all different positions of the music industry, including recording and touring. And it makes me so happy because when I was younger, there were so many different aspects of music I wanted to do and I kind of talked myself out of it in a way, because I was like, well, the guys aren’t going to let me, whoever’s running the studio, they’re not going to let somebody like me do this. It was kind of like a defeatist attitude because it was just what I had seen. It did feel like a boys’ club. Now it doesn’t feel so much that way anymore. I feel like we’re being taken very seriously and we’re climbing in positions of the music industry. And, I mean, obviously we got the microphones."

Onstage Persona

Howard said she's quiet in her everyday life but on stage, she doesn't care. She said, "I feel like I’m pretty quiet in my everyday life. I can be quiet, I can be reserved. I’m not shy, I’m just observant. But when I’m onstage, I do not care. Whatever I’m singing about, that’s the thing I want to connect to other people in the room about."Doechii said, "No, child. I’m like this on and off stage. I’m a drama queen, definitely. But I do think that when I’m onstage, there’s something that gets very quiet about the environment. It’s just me and God. I’m a vessel in that moment and it just feels like a blessing. That’s why I love being onstage more than I like being in the studio because when I’m onstage I can really go somewhere else. I don’t become a different person, but I do leave this place, and I go somewhere else."

Grammy Moments

Howard described receiving her first Grammy as surreal. She said, "It felt really surreal, because I got into music because it was a place where I wasn’t limited. You can be anywhere in the world and make music and express yourself, and that was always my priority to have someplace that is mine that I’m in control of. There’s no limits, there’s no ceiling on it. And I like exploring that space. When we gained success I was in a group, Alabama Shakes, and even though we had been playing these shows and making no money and basically just spending gas money, suddenly I found myself in a space where people want to hear what I have to say. People want to give us awards. And it was a lot. It was happening so quickly, it was so surreal. It was like a dream. And how did I feel? I felt this immense sense that my life was never going to be the same again. And I appreciated that, and it gave me the inspiration to keep making music. I’m supposed to be doing this. I thought so, but now I know."Outfit by Fendi. Shoes by Adidas x Wales Bonner.Production Credits:BRITTANY HOWARD: Styling by NONJA MCKENZIE. Hair and Makeup by MONAE EVERETT at EPIPHANY AGENCY.DOECHII: Styling by SAM WOOLF at THE ONLY AGENCY. Makeup by DEE CARRION at PARADIS. VFX by MIGUEL FERNANDES. Video Director of Photography: SOREN NEILSEN. Photographic Assistance by HECTOR ADALID and JACKSON VERGES. Digital Technician: ISAN MONFORT. Photographed at POWER STATION BERKLEENYC.