Last Updated on February 25, 2024
Who Is Doja Cat?
Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, popularly known as Doja Cat, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and songwriter who began her career creating and recording music while she was a teenager. At age 17, she was quickly catapulted into the limelight when the official music video of her hit song So High caught the attention of RCA records. About a year later, she released her debut EP, “Purrr!” in 2014.
After releasing her debut EP, Doja Cat went on a musical hiatus and returned with a bang in 2018 with her debut album, Amala. Within the same year, she released her hit single titled “Mooo!” which quickly began a sensational internet meme and further helped the upcoming singer gain popularity.
While the iron was still hot, Doja Cat decided to maximize her growing fame by releasing her second studio album, “Hot Pink,” in 2019, which topped numerous charts not long after its release. Two years later, she released her third studio album, “Planet Her,” which consisted of catchy, fascinating melodies that were and are still being used in numerous Tik Tok videos.
Though her career is still in its early years, Doja Cat has received 11 Grammy nominations and multiple awards for her outstanding talent. Despite this, her career hasn’t been entirely devoid of drama. She has been at the center of several controversies but rose through the storm, securing her place in the entertainment industry.
Quick Facts
Full Name: | Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini |
Popular Name: | Doja Cat |
Gender: | Female |
Birth Date: | October 21, 1995 |
Age: | 27 years |
Parents: | Deborah Elizabeth Sawyer (mother) and Dumisani Dlamini (father) |
Siblings: | N/A |
Birth Place: | Los Angeles, California, USA |
Nationality: | American |
Ethnicity: | South-African, Jewish-American |
Education: | N/A |
Marital Status: | Single |
Sexual Orientation: | Bisexual |
Wife/Spouse: | N/A |
Children: | None |
Dating: | Johnny Utah (2020-2021) |
Net Worth: | $8 million |
Source of Wealth: | Music |
Height: | 5ft5 (1.65m) |
Weight: | 55kg (121 lbs) |
Early Life And Career Information
On the 21st of October, 1995, Amala Dlamini was born to Jewish-American mom Deborah Sawyer and South-African dad Dumisani Dlamini in Tarzana, Los Angeles. Amala was introduced to art and creativity from a young age, seeing as her mother is a graphic designer and her father is an actor, composer, and film producer. Thus, Amala inherited her love for the arts from her parents.
Soon after her birth, Amala, her brother, and her mother moved in with her maternal grandmother in Rye, New York, where they lived for about five years. Not much is known about her father’s presence in her early life seeing as he returned to South Africa due to homesickness.
At age 8, Amala, alongside her mother and her brother, moved to Santa Monica, where they lived for about four years before returning to California. Since she and her brother were one of the few mixed-race children within her new community, they suffered harsh racism from their peers. This, alongside her battles with ADHD, caused her to lose interest in school and pushed her to dive into the arts.
She eventually dropped out of high school when she was 16 and decided to pursue her musical career by learning how to sing, rap, and create her own music. She then adopted her stage name “Doja Cat,” which was coined to represent her love for marijuana and cats.
In 2012, she uploaded her song, “So High,” which immediately caught the attention of a record producer and helped her secure a contract with RCA Records when she was 17. Soon after, she released her debut EP, “Purrr!” After this, Doja took a brief hiatus until 2018, when she released her debut studio album “Amala.” This propelled her into stardom.
Though the award-winning singer is currently in the limelight, she has done her best to keep her private life away from the public eye. As such, not much is known about her personal life.
However, the singer has sparked several controversies on social media. She has received backlash from the public for some of the comments she made before rising to fame.
Recently, the 26-year-old singer announced she would be quitting music after a heated argument with fans over a canceled concert. Nonetheless, the singer stated that she still intends to fulfill her musical duties before finally calling it quits.
Doja Cat’s Net Worth
As a musician who rose to fame recently, Doja Cat is still gaining traction and securing her place in the entertainment industry. Her eccentric, fun-loving personality and unique style of music have made her a prominent figure and helped her rise high on the charts.
Currently, Doja Cat’s net worth is estimated to be an outstanding sum of $8 million.
Lessons From The Life Of Doja Cat
Stop The Cancel Culture
“We should all learn from our experiences, but I don’t think hatred is the best way to deal with ignorance.” ~ Doja Cat.
As expected of an artist who was propelled to stardom when she was a teenager, Doja Cat has suffered a lot of backlashes and received multiple hate comments for some of the things she did and said when she was much younger.
Although it isn’t always possible to forgive the mistakes someone has made in the past, it is essential to know that people can mess up due to ignorance, and no one is above making mistakes. With proper education, everyone can unlearn their toxic behaviors and become better versions of themselves.
Social Media Can Be A Gift And A Curse
“I don’t check Twitter as much or tweet as often because, honestly, sometimes social media is draining and brings out all the negative things going on” ~ Doja Cat.
Although Doja Cat is an artist whose career was greatly catalyzed by social media, she has often spoken up about how toxic it can be. It is the reason she recently announced her desire to stop making music.
Understand the effect your words and comments can have on people and try to make the world a better place by spreading love and positivity.