Doja Cat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Doja Cat
Doja Cat in 2024
Born	Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (1995-10-21) October 21, 1995 (age 29) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Rapper singer songwriter record producer
Years active	2012–present
Works	Discography
Parent(s)	Dumisani Dlamini (father)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Hip-hop pop R&B pop rap
Labels	Kemosabe RCA

Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known as Doja Cat, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She was born and grew up in Los Angeles, California. Doja Cat started making and sharing music on SoundCloud when she was a teenager. Her song "So High" caught the attention of record labels, leading her to sign a deal. She then released her first extended play, Purrr!, in 2014.

After a break from music, Doja Cat became very popular online with her 2018 song "Mooo!". This funny song, where she pretends to be a cow, became an internet meme. Building on her fame, she released her second album, Hot Pink, in 2019. The album became a top ten hit in the US. Her song "Say So" from that album, especially the remix with Nicki Minaj, became a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her third album, Planet Her (2021), also did very well, with popular songs like "Kiss Me More" (featuring SZA), "Need to Know", and "Woman". Her fourth album, Scarlet (2023), focused more on hip-hop. Its main song, "Paint the Town Red", became her most successful song yet, reaching number one in the US and many other countries.

Doja Cat is known for making videos and performances that become viral hits on social media like TikTok. She is also famous for her funny and sometimes silly online personality and stage presence. She has won many awards, including a Grammy Award, five Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards, and five MTV Video Music Awards. Billboard magazine named her one of the biggest artists of the 2020s. In 2023, Time magazine included her in their list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Early Life and Growing Up

Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini was born on October 21, 1995, in Tarzana, California. Her mother, Deborah Sawyer, is an American graphic designer. Her father, Dumisani Dlamini, is a South African performer. He was known for being in the Broadway musical Sarafina!. Doja Cat has said she didn't really know her father growing up.

Soon after she was born, Amala moved to Rye, New York, living with her grandmother for five years. When she was eight, she moved back to California with her mother and brother. They lived in a commune in Agoura Hills and practiced Hinduism for four years. During this time, she sang bhajans (religious songs) at the temple.

Later, her family moved to Oak Park. Here, she started taking dance lessons. She had an active childhood, often skateboarding and going to surf camps in Malibu. She and her brother were some of the only mixed-race children in the area.

As she got older, she took breakdancing classes. She joined a professional poplocking dance group and competed in dance battles. Her aunt, a vocal coach, gave her singing lessons. This helped her audition for a performing arts high school in Los Angeles. However, she often skipped school to chat online. She realized that "performing and music was all [she] ever cared about." She left high school at age 16 because she found it hard to focus due to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Starting Her Music Career

2012–2017: Early Songs and First Record Deal

After leaving school, Doja Cat spent a lot of time online. She looked for beats and music on YouTube to create her own songs. She taught herself to sing, rap, and use music software like GarageBand. She often made music and uploaded it to SoundCloud. In late 2012, her song "So High" was one of her first uploads.

Doja Cat started performing in the underground hip-hop scene in Los Angeles. She performed at parties and met other rappers. She met producer Jerry "Tizhimself" Powell, who found her SoundCloud account. He introduced her to producer Yeti Beats. Yeti Beats invited her to record at his studio. He then connected her with Kemosabe Records, part of RCA Records. She signed a deal with them at age 17.

In August 2014, Doja Cat released her first EP, Purrr!. It was described as "spacey, eastern-influenced R&B." "So High" was released as her first official single before the EP. The song was even featured on the TV show Empire.

2018–2019: Amala and the "Mooo!" Song

After a four-year break from major releases, Doja Cat released "Roll with Us" in February 2018. The next month, she released "Go to Town" and "Candy" from her first album. "Candy" later became a surprise hit. A "dance challenge" using the song went viral on TikTok in late 2019. This helped "Candy" chart in countries like Australia, Canada, and the United States. It reached number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100, her first solo song to enter that chart.

Doja Cat performing in October 2018 after the success of "Mooo!"

On March 30, 2018, Doja Cat's first studio album, Amala, was released. It didn't get much attention at first.

In August 2018, Doja Cat released a homemade music video for "Mooo!". This was a funny song with silly lyrics where she imagined being a cow. The video quickly became a viral hit and an internet meme, getting millions of views in a week. Because it was so popular, "Mooo!" was officially released as a single. This was followed by "Tia Tamera" featuring Rico Nasty in February 2019. The full deluxe version of Amala was released in March 2019, including "Mooo!", "Tia Tamera", and "Juicy". The success of "Mooo!" showed her record labels that Doja Cat was a popular artist.

2019–2020: Becoming Famous with Hot Pink

A remix of Doja Cat's song "Juicy" from the Amala deluxe album, featuring rapper Tyga, was released in August 2019. This song became her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching number 41. The success of "Juicy" also helped Amala appear on the Billboard 200 chart for the first time.

Next, she released the single "Rules" and announced her second album, Hot Pink. Hot Pink was released on November 7, 2019, and received good reviews. The album eventually reached number 9 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Doja Cat performing at the Hot Pink release party

In January 2020, "Say So" became the fourth single from Hot Pink. The song gained huge popularity on TikTok. Doja Cat performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in February 2020. The solo version of "Say So" reached number five on the Hot 100, her first top-ten hit. In May 2020, a remix of "Say So" featuring Nicki Minaj topped the Billboard Hot 100. This was the first number-one song for both artists and the first time a female rap collaboration reached the top of the chart.

Doja Cat was supposed to go on the Hot Pink Tour in March 2020, but it was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was featured on a remix of the Weeknd's song "In Your Eyes" and on "Shimmy" by rapper Lil Wayne. At the 20th BET Awards, she was nominated for two awards. In August 2020, her song "Freak", which had been on SoundCloud since 2018, was officially released.

Doja Cat won the Push Best New Artist award at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards. She also performed a mix of her songs. She was featured on remixes for Chloe x Halle's "Do It" and on Ozuna's song "Del Mar". In October 2020, she was featured on Bebe Rexha's single "Baby, I'm Jealous". She performed a burlesque-themed mix of her songs at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards. She also performed "Baby, I'm Jealous" with Bebe Rexha and "Del Mar" with Ozuna on TV shows. Doja Cat was featured on "Motive" from Ariana Grande's album Positions, which reached number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Doja Cat in 2020

Doja Cat performed a metal version of "Say So" at the 2020 MTV Europe Music Awards. She won the award for Best New Act. She also won The New Artist of 2020 at the 46th People's Choice Awards. At the 2020 American Music Awards, she won New Artist of the Year and Favourite Soul/R&B Female Artist. She performed "Baby, I'm Jealous" with Bebe Rexha there. On December 31, 2020, Doja Cat performed "Say So", "Like That", and "Juicy" on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

In 2020, Billboard ranked Doja Cat as one of the top new artists and top female artists. Her music streams increased a lot. Rolling Stone named her the number one breakthrough artist of 2020. Forbes also called her one of the top breakout stars. She was the fourth most-searched musician on Google in the United States in 2020.

2021–2022: Planet Her Album

On January 7, 2021, Doja Cat was featured on the single "Best Friend" by rapper Saweetie. The next week, she appeared with Megan Thee Stallion on a remix of "34+35" by Ariana Grande. This remix helped the song reach number two on the Billboard Hot 100. In early 2021, Doja's song "Streets" became a hit after live performances went viral on TikTok. This led the song to enter the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 16. Doja Cat was nominated for three awards at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. In 2021, Time magazine included her on their "100 Next" list, which features rising stars.

Doja Cat announced her third album title, Planet Her, in March 2021. On April 10, the song "Kiss Me More" featuring SZA was released as the main single for the album. It was praised by critics and became a big hit. It spent many weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number three. This was Doja Cat's third top 10 hit. In May 2021, Doja Cat won Top Female R&B Artist at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards. She also won Best New Pop Artist at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards.

Doja Cat in July 2021

The song "Need to Know" was released in June 2021. Doja Cat then officially announced Planet Her and its songs. The album was released to good reviews and opened at number two on the Billboard 200. It stayed at number two for three weeks. It also topped the charts in New Zealand and reached the top 5 in countries like the United Kingdom and Australia.

Doja Cat appeared as a guest star in the TV series Dave in June 2021. In September, she became a Pepsi ambassador and starred in a commercial. Doja Cat hosted the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards ceremony, her first time hosting a TV show. She also performed songs there. She won awards for Best Collaboration (with SZA for "Kiss Me More") and Best Art Direction (with Saweetie for "Best Friend"). She was praised for her hosting skills.

Doja Cat was featured on songs from Lil Nas X's album Montero and Young Thug's album Punk. In October 2021, she reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Songwriters chart. She also became the first rapper to have three top 10 songs on the US Mainstream Top 40 chart. The music video for Planet Her's fourth single, "Woman", was released in December. Billboard reported that Doja Cat was the bestselling female R&B and hip-hop artist in the US in 2021. Planet Her was also one of the bestselling and most streamed albums. In 2022, Doja Cat won Female Rapper of the Year and Performer of the Year at the 2022 XXL Awards. She received eight nominations at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. "Kiss Me More" won the award for Best Pop Duo Performance.

In February 2022, Doja Cat released a cover of "Celebrity Skin" by Hole for a Taco Bell commercial. Later that month, her second song with Tyga, "Freaky Deaky", was released. She also contributed the song "Vegas" to the soundtrack for the film Elvis (2022). In June 2022, she was featured on "I Like You (A Happier Song)" by Post Malone. This song earned her another Grammy nomination. Doja Cat was also the subject of the song "Doja" by British rapper Central Cee, which became very popular globally.

Around this time, Doja Cat talked about feeling tired from her career. She mentioned that she wasn't enjoying some of her work anymore and wanted to change her musical direction.

2023–Present: Scarlet Album

Doja Cat adopted a more experimental image ahead of Scarlet's release.

In early 2023, Doja Cat started hinting at her fourth album, which she said would be mostly rap music. This was a return to her earlier style, moving away from the "pop and glittery sounds" she had become known for. She also changed her look to a darker, more "punk" style. In June 2023, she released the song "Attention".

The album's main single, "Paint the Town Red", was released in August 2023. It was a huge success, breaking streaming records. It became her first solo song to reach number one in the United States and the United Kingdom, and on the Billboard Global 200 chart. The album's title was revealed to be Scarlet. The second song, "Demons", was released in September 2023 with a music video featuring actress Christina Ricci. Scarlet was released on September 22, 2023, and received mostly positive reviews. It debuted in the top 5 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Doja Cat then started her first arena tour, The Scarlet Tour, with rappers Doechii and Ice Spice as opening acts.

A deluxe version of the album, Scarlet 2 Claude, was released on April 5, 2024. It features collaborations with American rappers ASAP Rocky and Teezo Touchdown.

Her Artistic Style

What Influences Her Music

Doja Cat names Nicki Minaj (pictured) as her biggest influence.

Doja Cat has said that Nicki Minaj is her biggest influence. She loves everything Nicki Minaj has created. On her song "Get Into It (Yuh)" from Planet Her (2021), Doja Cat pays tribute to Minaj. Critics have noted that Planet Her was influenced by Minaj's pop-rap style. She has also named Lauryn Hill and Busta Rhymes as major influences. She said that if she hears a beat that Busta Rhymes would be great on, she tries to rap in a similar way.

Doja Cat also gets inspiration from artists like Rihanna, Beyoncé, D'Angelo, Missy Elliott, and Christina Aguilera. Her childhood experiences, like being involved in online communities and different sub-cultures, also inspire her. The music her mother introduced her to, such as Fugees, Erykah Badu, Jamiroquai, Earth, Wind & Fire, Black Eyed Peas, Tupac, Aaliyah, DMX, India Arie, and TLC, are also important. The Hindu culture from her childhood and Japanese culture have also influenced her early work. She also admires Janet Jackson and Prince.

Doja Cat at the Met Gala in 2023

Music Style and Themes

Doja Cat's music is described as hip hop, pop, R&B, and pop rap. She wants to be remembered for her ability to do many different things, not just in music but also in visual art and dance. Her second album, Hot Pink, included her own beats and videos she wrote herself. She felt this album was a fresh start and showed a more "refined" version of herself. Her music often has an upbeat style that reflects a fantasy world.

Personal Life

Doja Cat prefers to keep her personal life private. She lived in a home in Beverly Hills, California, which she bought in 2021 and sold in 2022.

She was in a brief relationship with musician Jawny from 2019 to 2020. In June 2020, Doja Cat donated $100,000 to the Justice for Breonna Taylor Fund to support Taylor's family.

As of August 2024, she is dating actor Joseph Quinn.

Discography

• Amala (2018)
• Hot Pink (2019)
• Planet Her (2021)
• Scarlet (2023)

Filmography

Television

Video games

Awards and Nominations

Doja Cat has won many awards during her career. These include one Grammy Award, five Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards (AMAs), five MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), and six iHeartRadio Music Awards.

On January 27, 2024, Doja Cat's song "Paint the Town Red" was voted the number one most popular song of 2023 in a listener poll by Australian radio station Triple J.

Tours

Headlining Tours

• Amala Tour (2018–2019)
• The Scarlet Tour (2023–2024)

Supporting Tours

• Theophilus London – Vibes Tour (2015)
• Lizzo – Good as Hell Tour (2017)

Images for kids

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  Doja Cat performing in October 2018 after the success of "Mooo!"

See also

In Spanish: Doja Cat para niños

• List of Zulu people
• List of Los Angeles rappers
• List of artists who reached number one in the United States
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 2020
• List of most-streamed artists on Spotify