Tyler, the Creator's live music creation, Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival celebrated it's 10th anniversary last weekend. The two day festival was held at Dodger's Stadium in LA. It's line-up is currated to showcase a unique range of hip-hop/rap/soul music and artists with more traditional hip-hop genre sounds to those that are more alternative. This year's line-up included Erykah Badu, Andre 3000, Yves Tumor, The Marias, Raye, plus many more, a slew of surprise special guests and Tyler himself headlining to close out night one.
The 33 year old mastermind released his eighth studio album, Chromakopia, on October 28th and it quickly hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Chromakopia may have come a little too late for Grammy Award nominations this time around, however, Camp Flog Gnaw 2024 brought more than one artist to it's stages who are nominated for a 2025 Grammy Award.
One of those artists who's coming in hot with four Grammy Award nominations is Doechii. She's also featured on one of Tyler's new songs from his latest album, Chromakopia, titled "Balloon".
The 26 year old from Tampa Florida dropped her third mixed tape, Alligator Bites Never Heal on August 30th. The mixed tape, which is commonly musical projects with less constraints and less commerical pressure of an album or extended play, garnered Doechii a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist, Best Rap Album, Best Rap Performance for her single "Nissan Altama" and Best Remixed Recording for "Alter Ego" Kaytranada remix featuring Kaytranada and JT.
Doechii @ Camp Flog Gnaw 11/16/2024 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
By 3:30 on Saturday afternoon a formidable crowd gathered at the CAMP stage, also known as the Main Stage, to see Doechii. It was quite a scene seeing that many people at a stage that early at a festival.
She hit the stage ten minutes behind schedule but was right on time to give her fans one of the best sets of the weekend.
Before getting things going she greeted the crowd, reminding us that she'd just wrapped up her own tour and was ready to keep it going at Flog Gnaw.
Decked in GOLF appropriate attire: a striped polo shirt, booty shorts, knee high stockings and stileto heels, the first three songs came from Alligator Bites Never Heal to get the crowd going. And they do so, effortlessly. Next up was "Spookie Coochie", a throw from her 2020 debut. After that the already amped up crowd got evn more amped when Doechii brought out special surprise guest SZA for the song "Persusasive". The crowd roared as SZA, a vision in a pink and yellow butterfly top and baggy cargo pants emerged and worked the stage. Their combined energy was electric, bringing some fans to happy tears as the two songtresses performed together. Once the song was over, SZA sung Doechii's praises before handing the stage back to her.
SZA on stage with Doechii @ Camp Flog Gnaw 11/16/2024 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
As the set went on Doechii showed us what shes made of. She started off with a taste of spoken word poetry. She rapped. She sang. She sped things up then she slowed things down. She got the crowd involved with vocal ques. She twerked a little. And she did all that without losing her breath or a beat.
By the time she started singing one of her biggest singles, the Grammy Award nominated "Nissan Altama"at the end of her thirty minute set, with the help of her bacing DJ, Doechii kicked off her shoes so she was free to run around the stage.
A ray of positive energy, Doechii's drive, ambition and passion for her craft prevailed. She thanked Tyler for creating a space for all of the weirdos to be creative and keep creating in their own way, while also congratulating him on his 10 year Anniversary of Flog Gnaw.
Out of all of the great sets that took place at this fest, I'm glad I was able to catch this one.
Doechii set-list at Camp Flog Gnaw 2024:
1. BOOM BAP
2. BOILED PEANUTS
3. DENIAL IS A RIVER
4. Spookie Coochie
5. Persuasive
6. Stressed
7. DEATH ROLL
8. PROFIT
9. Crazy
10. CATFISH
11. NISSAN ALTAMA