Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, known professionally as Doja Cat, is a Grammy-winning American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer born on October 21, 1995, in Los Angeles, California. Her eclectic sound, bold visuals, and deep understanding of internet culture have made her one of the most influential artists of the 2020s.
Doja Cat’s musical journey began in her teenage years when she dropped out of school and taught herself how to sing, rap, and produce using GarageBand and beats downloaded from YouTube. Immersed in internet culture and communities like eBaum’s World and Myspace, she began uploading tracks to SoundCloud, where her 2012 track “So High” caught the attention of producer Yeti Beats. He introduced her to Kemosabe Records, an imprint of RCA Records, where she signed a record deal at just 17 years old, under the wing of executive Dr. Luke and publishing company Prescription Songs.
In 2014, she released her debut EP, Purrr!, which showcased her early sound described as “spacey, eastern-influenced R&B.” Despite a quiet start and a period of creative limbo caused by lack of label support and personal struggles—including writer’s block and heavy marijuana use—Doja bounced back with viral momentum.
Her breakthrough came in 2018 with the quirky and meme-worthy single “Mooo!”, in which she humorously declared herself a cow. The video went viral, establishing her online persona as absurd, unpredictable, and highly entertaining. Capitalizing on the attention, she released her sophomore album Hot Pink (2019), which included the chart-topping “Say So” featuring Nicki Minaj. The song became a cultural phenomenon, bolstered by dance challenges on TikTok, and eventually hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Her third studio album, Planet Her (2021), pushed her further into global stardom, spending four weeks at #2 on the Billboard 200 and producing major hits like “Kiss Me More” (with SZA), “Need to Know,” and “Woman.” In 2023, she took a bold artistic turn with her fourth album, Scarlet, shifting to a more hip-hop-oriented sound. The album’s lead single, “Paint the Town Red,” became her first solo Billboard Hot 100 #1, topping multiple international charts and marking her highest commercial success to date.
Doja Cat is lauded not just for her genre-blending music but also for her technical rap skills, creative music videos, and theatrical performances. She is a master of virality, with a commanding presence on platforms like TikTok, where her songs and persona frequently trend.