What It Is (Block Boy) (with Kodak Black)

A "Block Boy" is a streetwise guy from the neighborhood. In this song, Doechii is ready to give him a little love, taking us into a world where she's a "good girl" and he's her "thug." Doechii made the grade with very personal songs where she raps with a dizzying display of flows, starting with her viral hit in 2020, "Yucky Blucky Fruitcake." That song got her signed to the Los Angeles-based powerhouse Top Dawg Entertainment in March 2022. Her first singles on the label, "Persuasive" and "Crazy," are typical of her sound, with a grab bag of styles within each song. "What It Is (Block Boy)" is far more mainstream. It's irresistibly catchy but lacks the lyrical pathos and dextrous delivery Doechii is known for. But it did introduce her to many new fans when it became her first chart hit.

Doechii got some pressure from her label to make more songs like "What It Is," which frustrated her but provided inspiration for her 2024 song "Boom Bap." In that one, she addresses all the folks that want her to either sing like she does on "What Is Is" or rap in the style of the day, meaning hard and aggressive. That song is part of her highly acclaimed album Alligator Bites Never Heal, a return to confessional songwriting in a stew of styles. It earned her a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.

That's Kodak Black spitting a guest verse from the perspective of Doechii's street-smart love interest. He knows every gangster needs a solid shawty who's got his back, someone who's there for him no matter how badly the world treats him. Doechii also released a solo version of the song with his contribution removed.