Doechii has become a rising star over the past few years, but her increasing profile hasn’t come without its issues. Some of her detractors haven’t had particularly kind things to say about her appearance, but instead of hiding from it, Doechii is leaning in.

In a new Paper profile and photoshoot, Doechii donned a costume, of a muscular man with an afro and mustache. She explained:

“Last year, I started seeing comments from people who would say, ‘She looks like a man.’ Or, ‘She has on too much makeup. She looks like a drag queen.’ All these comments never bother me, because I just find it interesting. But I was like, ‘Since they keep saying I look like a man, I’m gonna f*cking give them a man. An eight-pack, mustache man.’ That’s what inspired me to do the look and I think it turned out sick.”

She also explained the character’s name, saying, “I came up with so many names. I was like, ‘He’s from Panama, he’s bisexual.’ We came up with Ricardo. That’s his name.”

Doechii went on to discuss her mindset behind the photoshoot, saying, “The thespian in me has to be fed. It does a lot for my inner-child. I am a theater kid. Playing with characters and coming up with characters has always been a passion of mine. Fashion is more than just flexing, it’s about being creative and telling a story. That’s what this shoot gave me.”

Read the full feature here.