10 Amazing Facts About Doja Cat

10 Amazing Facts About Doja Cat

Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini is an American songwriter, rapper, singer, and record producer who is famously known by her stage name Doja Cat. Doja Cat was born on 21^st October 1995 and got raised in Los Angeles. Doja was born into an artistic family as her mother, Deborah Sawyer is a graphic designer of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage.

Her father, Dumisani Dlamini is a South African performer who has roots in Zulu. Dumisani is popularly known for his starring role as Crocodile in the original Broadway cast, Sarafina. Doja did not complete her schooling as she dropped out after suffering racism from other children and her liking for dancing contributed more.

Her life after dropping out of school was messy as she slept on floors and spent most of her time browsing the internet. She used to look for beats and instrumentals on YouTube to create her music. Doja Cat became familiar with sites like EBaum World and Myspace where she learned how to sing, rap, and use GarageBand.

She uploaded some of her songs to SoundCloud as her career road began taking a positive step. Kemosabe and RCA Records discovered Doja Cat after her song, So High, became a hit. She signed a joint record deal and released her debut EP Purrr! In 2014. Here are the 10 Amazing Facts About Doja Cat:

1. Doja Cat was Born Into an Artistic Family

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On 21^st October 1995, Doja Cat was born in the neighborhood of Tarzana in Los Angeles, California. She was born into an artistic family as her father and mother were artists.

Deborah Sawyer, her mother, is a graphic designer who majorly concentrates on Ashkenazi Jewish heritage. Her father of Zulu descent, Dumisani Dlamini is a performer. He is best known for the film Sarafina where he starred as Crocodile.

2. She Dropped Out of School for Racial Abuse but Got Interested in Dancing

Doja Cat and her family did not live in one place as she grew up. Her mother took her and her brother to live in various places before relocating to Oak Park. At Oak Park, Dlamini began taking dance classes and also had a “sporty childhood,” where she frequently went skateboarding and traveling to Malibu for surf camps.

Being some of the only mixed-race kids in the neighborhood, Doja and her brother encountered severe racial abuse. She states that after the racial abuses, she lost interest in education and developed a passion for dance. She had been doing Bharatanatyam, an Indian traditional dance form, while she was at the ashram.

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3. Doja Self-taught Herself to Sign and Rap

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At the age of 16 while in Junior School, Doja Cat dropped out of school and decided that education was not her route. She had a messy life after dropping out of school as she used to sleep on the floor. However, this opened up a new page in her life as she spent more time browsing through the Internet.

Doja Cat searched for instrumentals and beats which she downloaded and taught herself how to sing and rap. She also learned how to use GarageBand to create her music. Doja then uploaded her songs to SoundCloud.

4. She Performed at Underground Hip-hop Scenes Early in her Career

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Before becoming a recognized artist, Doja Cat had to do some odd performances before breaking into the scene. She could perform her songs at underground hip-hop joints, parties, and ciphers.

During this experience, Doja Cat was able to meet some top-ranking hip-hop artists. Doja Cat got connected with rapper Busdriver, Ill Camille, and VerBS who helped her find her first gig.

5. Dlamini Signed Her Joint Record Deal at the Age of 17

Doja Cat never gave up her dreams of becoming a top artist as she continued to post her work on SoundCloud. Jerry Powell met with Doja during her gigs and remembered her from her work on SoundCloud.

Jerry introduced Doja to record producer Yeti Beats who in turn invited her for a recording session at his studio. Yeti also helped her to link up with Kemosabe Records. At the age of 17, she signed a joint record deal with RCA Records and Kemosabe Records.

6. Her Debut EP Featured on Fox Series, Empire

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Doja Cat’s debut EP, Purrr!, was released in August 2014. It was dubbed “spacey, eastern-influenced R&B” by The Fader.

Before EP was released, “So High” was repackaged and got made available as her solo commercial debut single. The song later appeared in the Fox series Empire in the third episode of the first season.

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7. Dlamini Cited Nicki Minaj as Her Biggest Influence

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All artists have famous musicians as their biggest influences, with Doja Cat being a familiar face. She openly cited that rapper Nicki Minaj is the biggest influence in her Career. During a Billboard interview, she revealed that she has loved everything that Nicki Minaj has put out into the world.

In her third studio album, Planet Her of 2021, Doja Cat pays an amazing tribute to Nicki. She also borrows her lyrics and rap delivery from her early rap debut in 2010, Massive Attack.

8. Doja Also has been Hugely Influenced by Top Artists like Rihanna

Other than Nicki Minaj being the greatest influence and inspiration to Doja, several other top-ranking artists are her influence. Lauryn Hill and Busta Rhyme were also named as some of her biggest influences.

Rihanna, Beyoncé, D’Angelo, Missy Elliott, Christina Aguilera, and Lil’ Kim are also her major influences. They helped her grow and shape her music career.

9. Her Stage Name was Inspired by One of Her Cats

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Many people especially her fans might question where she got her name, Doja Cat from. In 2012 when she was a teenager, Dlamini revealed that she got her stage name, Doja Cat from one of her cats.

She also revealed that the name came from her favorite strain of marijuana. Doja Cat stated, “I was heavily addicted to weed and weed culture, so when I began rapping I thought of the word ‘doja’ and how it sounds like a girl’s name.”

10. Doja Cat is Always Described as Eccentric

Doja Cat is renowned for having a wide range of musical styles. She can act, perform, dance, sing, rap, and create, among other things. She is always described as eccentric and well-known for her social media posts and absurdly funny persona.

Doja Cat was described by Robyn Mowatt in an article for Okayplayer, “as a singer, rapper, songwriter, and entertainer Doja has led her fans on a rambunctious journey equipped with snappy lyrics, live video streams, outlandish outfits, and memorable viral moments.”

Other than her artistic career, Doja Cat is also a philanthropist who usually chips in to help those who need her help. She contracted Covid-19 and tested positive on 12^th December 2021, but she recovered.

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