The mixtape features production from a variety of producers including Banser, Camper, Childish Major, Kal Banx, Devin Malik and Monte Booker, as well as a sole guest appearance from rapper Kuntfetish.

[3] After achieving her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 with the single "What It Is (Block Boy)" featuring Kodak Black, she stated in an August 2023 interview with PopSugar that she "just came back from Jamaica finishing [her debut album]," and alluded to releasing it before supporting Doja Cat on The Scarlet Tour.

[6] On July 12, 2024, Doechii began releasing a series entitled Swamp Sessions through social media; these were short songs that were written and recorded in hour-long periods, each accompanied by a music video.

[10] Doechii described the concept behind the title in a statement posted to Instagram accompanying the mixtape's announcement: The alligator performs a spinning maneuver known as the "death roll" to submerge and dismember its prey underwater.

Williams noted that she discusses "industry politics and label demands" on the project, and described a "sense of being trapped or feeling inadequate" on many of its tracks;[18] Lamond remarked that Doechii portrayed herself as torn between "personal relationships, vices, self-worth, and perceived success".

[17] The song "Denial Is a River" was named by multiple critics as a highlight of Alligator Bites Never Heal: Lamond opined that the track "unveils Doechii at her best", and Conteh called it "an immaculate display of her quirks, relatability, and tenderness".