Doechii delved into the layered storytelling and Eminem-inspired energy behind her track “Denial Is A River” during an episode of Verified.

Florida rapper Doechii sat down with Genius Verified to break down her song “Denial Is A River” from her mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal. The track, reflective and satyrical at the same time, takes inspiration from a viral Wendy Williams interview and showcases Doechii’s knack for compelling storytelling.

Explaining the song’s climax, she highlighted the intentional build-up to its final lines:

“I ain’t no killer, but don’t push me

Don’t wanna have to turn a nigga guts into soup bean”

The last couple of lines are where I get really serious, and my voice starts to growl. It is the first time in the whole song where I’m actually expressing anger as anger. I built up this whole story, and I waited intentionally to the last lines to really give it to you and let you know: no, I’m actually really pissed off, and you’re about to have me revert to somebody I was supposed to leave behind. That’s why I did it that way.

Doechii revealed that her creative approach is deeply influenced by artists like Eminem, Slick Rick, and Nicki Minaj, pointing to their ability to evoke strong emotions through the lyrics and delivery:

I also have a lot of Eminem influence. That Slick Rick, even Nicki Minaj – the way she animates her voice to evoke an emotion.

The rising star, who recently received co-signs from Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, and Tyler The Creator, continues to carve out her unique voice in hip hop, combining influences from older generations with her own fresh perspective.