A viral backlash over the Tampa rapper’s first VMA victory sparks debate on hip-hop’s boundaries, award integrity, and the way forward for cross-genre stars.
The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards topped Doechii with one of many evening’s most talked-about honors: Finest Hip-Hop for her single “Nervousness.” However whereas it marked a profession milestone for the Tampa-born rapper, it additionally ignited a storm of backlash on-line. Consequently, many followers are arguing the Gotye-sampling monitor is “not even hip-hop.”
The award, introduced September 7 at Newark’s Prudential Middle, was Doechii’s first-ever VMA win within the class. She edged out heavyweight nominees like Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” Drake’s “Nokia,” Eminem and Jelly Roll’s “Any individual Save Me,” Travis Scott’s “4X4,” LL Cool J and Eminem’s “Murdergram Deux,” and GloRilla with Sexyy Purple’s “Whatchu Kno About Me.” The victory surprised viewers and set social media ablaze.
Including to the shock issue, Doechii wasn’t even on the ceremony. She accepted remotely, whereas additionally nabbing Finest Choreography for a similar monitor. She misplaced out within the Music of the Yr and Video for Good classes. Nevertheless, she nonetheless walked away with two main wins on the evening girls dominated the VMAs.
From 2019 Demo to TikTok Hit
The story of “Nervousness” is as unconventional because the win itself. Initially a bedroom-recorded demo uploaded to YouTube in November 2019, the monitor was a part of Doechii’s Coven Music Session mixtape. But it surely by no means gained traction attributable to pattern clearance points: the music lifts closely from Gotye’s 2011 smash “Any individual That I Used to Know,” which itself interpolated Luiz Bonfá’s 1967 instrumental “Seville.”
Quick ahead to early 2025, and “Nervousness” immediately turned one of many yr’s greatest songs because of TikTok virality. Clips synced to Contemporary Prince of Bel-Air edits and even reposts by Will Smith despatched the music skyrocketing. Superstar co-signs from Raye and influencer Nara Smith boosted its momentum additional, forcing Doechii’s labels—High Dawg Leisure and Capitol Data—to re-record and formally launch the monitor in March 2025.
The gamble paid off. “Nervousness” debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard Scorching 100 earlier than peaking at No. 9, Doechii’s first top-ten hit. It additionally topped charts in international locations like Australia, Switzerland, Greece, and New Zealand whereas hitting the worldwide prime 10. Within the U.S., it dominated Radio Songs for 4 weeks and topped Rhythmic Airplay, making it one among 2025’s most performed singles.
By mid-year, it had logged greater than 165 million on-demand U.S. streams, producing an estimated $1.165 million in mixed royalties.
A Critically Acclaimed, But Polarizing Music
Music critics have been usually impressed. Rolling Stone praised its “dexterous but playful circulate” and the way in which Doechii framed themes of self-forgiveness and psychological well being. Billboard slotted it at No. 22 on its greatest songs of 2025 record, calling it “adventurous” and “a masterclass in charisma.”
The music video, launched in April and directed by James Mackel, paid homage to Gotye’s unique with geometric physique paint and symbolic chaos scenes like home fires and break-ins—visible metaphors for psychological turmoil.
Nonetheless, detractors weren’t quiet. Some reviewers slammed the monitor for leaning too closely on nostalgia, dismissing it as a part of the “lazy sampling” pattern in trendy pop and hip-hop. Comparisons have been made to Nicki Minaj’s interpolation of Rick James in “Tremendous Freaky Lady” or David Guetta’s current retro remixes.
That criticism would later gasoline the outrage when “Nervousness” gained Finest Hip-Hop.
Fan Backlash: “This Isn’t Hip-Hop”
Nearly instantly after the win, X (previously Twitter) crammed with posts mocking or condemning the selection. Many questioned how “Nervousness,” constructed on a Gotye pop pattern and TikTok-friendly manufacturing, beat Kendrick Lamar’s West Coast anthem “Not Like Us” or Eminem’s comeback single.
One consumer fumed: “That is NOT hip hop. Taking a beat from a music and making it worse is simply ridiculousz” (1.4K likes). One other: “Wait… I like me some Doechii, however HOW did she win over Not Like Us???” (1.5K likes). Others known as the music “lazy,” “barely a rap music,” or “the worst she’s ever put out.”
The talk tied straight into the controversy over lyrical content material vs manufacturing when classifying songs in hip-hop. For these listeners, Doechii’s melodic, pop-leaning monitor merely didn’t meet the edge.
Claims of a “Theft”
Past style debates, the largest criticism was that different nominees have been snubbed. Followers of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us”—already hailed as one of many yr’s defining diss tracks—have been particularly vocal. Eminem supporters additionally argued his collaboration with Jelly Roll deserved recognition, whereas Drake and Travis Scott stans piled on.
Streamer xQc’s viral rant summed up a lot of the outrage: “Not solely are you not the very best in your discipline, you’re not the very best in any discipline.” His clip, considered hundreds of thousands of occasions, fueled claims that the award was undeserved.
Rigged or Simply Altering Instances?
As a result of Finest Hip-Hop is fan-voted, skeptics claimed there was no means Doechii might outvote megastars like Kendrick, Drake, or Eminem. Posts dismissing the VMAs as “a joke” or “rigged” went viral. One consumer wrote: “Laughable considering it’s a followers vote. 100% proof it’s rigged.”
Others accused her label, TDE, of pushing bots or industry-backed promotion. These suspicions fed right into a broader narrative that Doechii is an “{industry} plant,” an accusation she has confronted since her breakthrough.
Help Amid the Noise
Whereas criticism dominated replies, there have been additionally sturdy voices of assist. Followers celebrated the second as a victory for girls in hip-hop, with posts like: “WE DID IT LAMBS!!!!! Mariah Carey simply gained her first #VMAs…” (cross-hyped) and “Actually 100% deserved, she fkin killed it.”
Some identified that misogyny and colorism might play roles within the disproportionate backlash towards Doechii, a dark-skinned, queer Black girl thriving in a male-dominated style. As one defender put it: “If Kendrick or Drake dropped Nervousness, y’all would name it genre-bending brilliance.”
Doechii’s Silence and What’s Subsequent
Up to now, Doechii hasn’t straight addressed the backlash. However in previous interviews, she’s spoken concerning the shock success of “Nervousness,” saying she by no means anticipated a 2019 freestyle to outline her yr. She’s additionally made clear that she intends to maintain pushing style boundaries, no matter purist criticisms.
Her absence from the VMAs could also be tied to rehearsals for her Reside from the Swamp Tour, launching in October. With a Grammy already beneath her belt (Finest Rap Album for Alligator Bites By no means Heal earlier this yr) and now two VMAs, she’s positioned as one of many breakout stars of 2025—controversy and all.
The Larger Image
The uproar over Doechii’s win is greater than fan drama—it’s a snapshot of how music genres are evolving within the streaming period. With Spotify knowledge displaying a 25% rise in cross-genre collaborations since 2020, hybrid tracks like “Nervousness” have gotten the norm, not the exception.
For some, that’s the way forward for hip-hop. For others, it’s a dilution of its core. Both means, Doechii’s win has pressured the dialog into the highlight.
