Grammy-winning rapper Doechii brought her signature academic aesthetic to life during her homecoming performance at Tampa's Yuengling Center on Saturday, October 25, 2025. The 27-year-old artist, born Jaylah Jimya Hickmon, rolled onto the stage atop a wheeled desk wearing a pinstripe mini skirt and Bayonetta-style glasses, transforming her concert into a literal hip-hop classroom complete with school bell sound effects.
The Tampa native's "Live From the Swamp Tour" stop marked her first hometown performance since winning her Grammy Award earlier this year. Doechii divided her set into different educational "lessons," covering topics ranging from sex education to self-love, while demonstrating the academic dedication that has become central to her brand identity. Before achieving Grammy recognition, she honed her craft as a student at Howard W. Blake High School's arts magnet program and through countless performances in Ybor City venues.
Fans embraced the educational theme wholeheartedly, arriving dressed in swamp-inspired colors of green and brown, sporting reptile-skin accessories and alligator onesies. Many adopted Doechii's signature academia-chic style, wearing pleated skirts, sweater vests, wide neckties over sports bras, and knee socks paired with high-heeled loafers. The rapper previously explained to Vogue that her school uniform-inspired outfits pay homage to her extensive music research and scholarly approach to hip-hop.
The performance showcased Doechii's evolution from local talent to international star. She incorporated personal moments of vulnerability, including sampling audio from her viral 2025 Met Gala meltdown during "Alter Ego," where she frantically called for umbrellas to protect her outfit. Her chart-topping hit "Anxiety," originally a riff on Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know," was reimagined as a haunting punk-rock anthem featuring searing guitar riffs and dramatic red lighting effects.
Demonstrating her commanding stage presence, Doechii performed athletic choreography alongside her twin sisters, who served as backup dancers. She executed bouncing splits, duck-walked across the stage like a voguing drag queen, and sprinted up a playground slide while wearing heels. The elaborate stage design featured a giant boombox and playground equipment, with Doechii ensuring even nosebleed section attendees could follow along through close-up camera work on the venue's screens.
The concert opened with Kal Banx, Doechii's Top Dawg Entertainment labelmate from Dallas, Texas, taking the stage at 8:45 p.m. Banx delivered vulnerable performances about his mother's death, homesickness, and the importance of therapy and mental health awareness. He praised Tampa as "a freaky ass city" and declared it the best stop of his debut tour, setting an emotional tone that complemented Doechii's later introspective moments.
When Doechii emerged at 10 p.m., she launched into a rapid succession of songs from her Grammy-winning mixtape "Alligator Bites Never Heal." As the show progressed, she peeled back her braggadocious exterior to reveal the sensitive Florida girl beneath. During "Swamp Bitch," she performed over a murky beat that pulsed like a heartbeat, while "Denial is a River" featured call-and-response segments with hype-woman DJ Miss Milan.
One of the evening's most touching moments occurred when Doechii spotted students from her alma mater, Howard W. Blake High School, in the audience. "Wait, is that the Blake High School band?" she asked, pointing to cheering students in the back of the arena. She led the crowd in chanting "Blake! Blake! Blake!" while the marching band members stomped their feet, creating vibrations that rattled throughout the venue. The students had performed at a pre-concert popup outside the arena and continued their chants in the parking lot after the show.
Doechii's connection to her audience reached its peak during "Pacer," when she commanded VIP attendees to open up a mosh pit so she could join them on the floor. She disappeared into the sea of waving hands under flashing lights before emerging for "Nissan Altima," passing the microphone around and jumping with joy as fans rapped her lyrics back to her. The interactive moment demonstrated the deep bond between the artist and her hometown supporters.
Reflecting on her journey, Doechii expressed heartfelt gratitude to her Tampa audience. "I love you guys so much. I feel so much gratitude in this moment," she said while perched on her slowly rolling desk prop. "I traveled all over the world, to so many places, and I've seen so many audiences. And none of them feel like my home like Tampa Bay." Her words emphasized the special significance of returning to perform for the community that supported her before her rise to fame.
The comprehensive setlist showcased Doechii's range and growth as an artist, opening with "STANKA POOH" and including covers of Beyoncé's "AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM" and collaborations like "L" with JENNIE and "Balloon" with Tyler, The Creator. The show concluded with an encore featuring "Yucky Blucky Fruitcake," "PACER," and "NISSAN ALTIMA," bringing the educational hip-hop experience full circle and cementing Doechii's status as both student and teacher in the art form she has mastered.
