Doechii Deserves

The Grammy. The cosigns. And most of all, the platform. But let her tell you why.

- Annabel Iwegbue

Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture by Ludovic de Saint Sernin dress, Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood shoes, Clyde hat, vintage belts from The Society Archive.

Doechii still gets scared. Sitting in her Los Angeles bedroom, with a gray hoodie on and her signature beaded cornrows, the 26-year-old is describing one of the last times nerves found her. She'd just been announced as the third woman in history to win the Grammy for Best Rap Album and she had not one bit of a speech prepared. Not because she didn’t believe she would win but because of a divine message she'd received. “Something in my spirit told me, You'll know what to say when you get up there. Just trust me,” she recalls. “I think my speech was literally downloaded. It’s like my mouth was moving, but it wasn't me speaking.”

Giovanna Flores top, Kiki de Montparnasse briefs, Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise earrings, For Future Reference Vintage bracelet, Jade Ruzzo rings, Charlotte Chesnais ring (right index finger), Howl ring (left index finger), Laura Lombardi ring (left ring finger), Brooks Brothers socks.

Whatever power fed her those words made a proclamation that resonated with millions, that will be widely shared via Instagram quote cards and vision boards for years to come: “Anything is possible. Don’t allow anybody to project any stereotypes on you, to tell you that you can’t be here, that you're too dark or that you're not smart enough or that you're too dramatic or you're too loud. You are exactly who you need to be to be right where you are, and I am a testimony right now.”