Doja Cat bio, age, height, ethnicity, boyfriend, family, career path 2025

Biography of Doja Cat

Doja Cat is an American rapper, songwriter, and producer of South African descent. She shot to fame with her viral hit "Mooo!" in 2018, the same year she dropped her debut album "Amala".

In 2020, Doja Cat hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with her single "Say So". She's often called the new Missy Elliott and compared to hip-hop icons like Lil' Kim and Nicki Minaj.

Childhood, Youth, Family

Born in Malibu during the fall of 1995, Amalaratna Zandile Dlamini entered the world with a name as unique as her future would prove to be. She was born into a multicultural family where creativity ran deep—every member was involved in some form of art. Her father, Dumisani Dlamini, descended from the Zulu tribe, came to the United States for his education and became both a composer and actor. His role in Darrell Roodt's musical drama "Sarafina!" helped him provide a comfortable home where he could bring his newborn daughter.

The singer's real name is Amalaratna Zandile

During the filming of this movie, Dumisani met the dazzling Whoopi Goldberg, the eccentric Robert Whitehead and John Kani. But these connections didn't boost his acting career further, so he pivoted to producing—and found considerable success there.

Amala's mother, Deborah Elizabeth Sawyer, and her grandmother were both part of the Jewish community. Both women were artists working in decorative and applied arts.

Music was always present in their household—and not just because of her composer father. Her parents regularly attended concerts by famous performers, bringing their older son and daughter along. Amala recalled one of the performances of the band "Earth, Wind & Fire":

I had a good spot, I could see them. I was six or so, and in the end, they even brought me up on stage. It was cool. Just cool. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be saying all this now... I love all the songs of Earth, Wind & Fire.

Her grandmother insisted she attend music school. After a couple of years learning musical notation and practicing piano, Amala's interest shifted to dancing. Around the same time, her older brother was regularly hitting up rap battles. One day, she asked to tag along. The rhythm and energy hooked her instantly—she decided to try it herself and wrote her first rap track. According to Doja Cat, just two likes were enough to make her cry with happiness—but when she hit over twenty, she knew rap was her calling.

Though she was a good student, Amala somehow managed to ignore all her homework while eagerly diving into Indian and Japanese epic literature. She also went through a painting phase. And she continued to write lyrics.

While listening to Nicki Minaj, Pharrell Williams, and PartyNextDoor, she started thinking about creating a stage name. She came up with one herself: Doja Cat.

The first word is slang for marijuana, and the second is a tribute to her favorite animals.

Under this alias, she began posting her songs online, where she could count on getting views. Not every attempt was successful, but Amala didn't let it get her down. Her brother's advice and unwavering belief in her success kept her going.

Breakthrough in Musical Creativity

In 2013, Doja Cat recorded the track "So High" and dropped it on SoundCloud. The track caught attention beyond just listeners. Soon after, RCA Records came calling with a deal. "So High" took off, eventually landing on the "Empire" soundtrack.

Doja Cat - So High

She soon dropped her debut EP "Purrr!," serving up a blend of dance disco, R&B, and rap. The "So High" music video had critics calling her a psychedelic prodigy destined to surpass Nicki Minaj.

Doja Cat – Candy

In 2015, she teamed up with Atlanta rapper Maco Mattox to drop several fresh remixes of popular hits. Doja Cat broke through to mainstream recognition when "Candy" went viral on TikTok.

Riding that wave in 2018, she recorded two more tracks—"Roll with Us" and "Go to Town"—before dropping her full-length debut "Amala" and hitting the road across America. The album quickly amassed a massive fanbase, but Doja Cat wasn't about to slow down—if anything, she'd found her groove:

I'm spontaneous: sometimes I just start mumbling a melody or rhythm. Sometimes I start with a concept or even just one word. I pick a few good rhymes - and off we go.

Her tracks started blowing up internationally, and when she dropped the "Mooo!" video on YouTube, it caused a massive stir—even Chris Brown and Katy Perry were singing her praises. Better yet, it sparked the #MooChallenge on Instagram, where fans created videos imagining themselves as cows, following Doja's lead. The absurd, surreal concept only fueled the internet's obsession.

Doja Cat – Mooo!

2019 kept the momentum going. Doja Cat linked up with major artists for several remixes. She teamed up with Rico Nasty for "Tia Tamera" and joined forces with Tyga on "Juicy." The compositions made the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Doja Cat Explains 'Juicy' To A Classical Music Expert

Recognizing her music's massive appeal and responding to fan demand, Doja Cat dropped her new album "Hot Pink." The album cover made a statement: she posed nearly nude in long gloves and a bold pink wig.

When asked about the new album, she said she wanted to paint it with the colors she's loved since childhood. The compositions seem to envelop the listener with warmth and dreaminess. She worked with Kurtis McKenzie, Salaam Remi, Tyson Trax, and Blaq Tuxedo to bring the Hot Pink album to life. The album spawned singles including "Bitch Boss" and "Streets". The album cracked the Billboard Hot 100, and the singer was invited to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Doja Cat also recorded the soundtrack to Cathy Yan's crime action film "Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn". Just one line from "Boss Bitch" - "I'm a Bitch I'm a Boss" absolutely went viral. The soundtrack quickly became a meme, with countless sketches and videos created on TikTok using this track.

Doja Cat – Boss B*tch

At the beginning of 2020, the singer posted several music videos online, including dance ones. That same year, she created a TikTok video for "Say So," featuring TikTok stars Donté Colley and Haley Sharpe. Haley Sharpe also served as a choreographer for this composition. The director of the video was Hannah Lux Davis, which proved challenging but ultimately rewarding for the artist.

In the video, Doja Cat walks with a tiger as if with a kitten, holding it on a leash, her costumes shimmer and change colors. In February, Doja Cat performed with this composition on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. In her favorite pink bodysuit, the singer performed accompanied by disco-style dancers.

The fifth single from "Hot Pink" was released as a remix featuring Nicki Minaj early that year, after which in May Doja Cat topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart with this composition - for the first time in her creative career.

Doja Cat - Say So

Elle's music reviewer Nerisha Penrose praised "Say So," noting how it "offers a healthy dose of nostalgia when Doja Cat's quiet, airy voice floats over a layer of shimmering synthesizers and a cool bass line."

Despite the disruption of plans by the coronavirus pandemic, Doja Cat planned a tour of the United States in support of the album "Hot Pink," as she told her fans on Instagram. The enthusiastic fan response further motivated her planned summer/fall 2020 tour.

In June 2021, Doja Cat released her third studio album "Planet Her". The tracklist consists of 14 songs, including features with The Weeknd (You Right), Ariana Grande (I Don't Do Drugs), SZA (Kiss Me More), and Young Thug (Payday). Music critics hailed it as Doja's best work yet, with many dubbing her the "rising pop queen."

In September, Doja Cat recorded a joint track "Scoop" with Lil Nas X. Meanwhile, she exceeded the mark of 63 million monthly listens on the Spotify platform. She became just the third artist in history—and first female rapper—to hit those numbers.

Doja Cat, The Weeknd - You Right

At the end of 2021, the singer was nominated for 8 Grammys. Among them: nomination for Record of the Year and Song of the Year (song Kiss Me More in duet with RZA), Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album (Planet Her). She won the award in the category "Best Pop Duo/Group Performance" for the song Kiss Me More.

Personal Life of Doja Cat

Doja Cat is very private about her personal life. She first went public with a relationship in 2019 when she started dating singer Jacob Sullenger, better known as Johnny Utah or JAWNY. Doja watched his music video for "Honeypie" and later admitted she literally hated the song, but loved the way Johnny moved. She left a comment on his social media, and things took off from there. However, they broke up at the beginning of 2020. "It just didn't work out," Doja said about the split.

In June 2020, she posted an Instagram video of herself under a blanket with someone filming, captioned "My boyfriend annoying af". But who this person was remains a mystery.

In October 2020, rumors began swirling about a relationship between Doja and rapper French Montana. The pair were spotted vacationing together in the Bahamas. But Doja Cat shut down the rumors—turns out they were just working on a collab. The song 'Handstand' was included in Montana's fourth album 'They Got Amnesia'.

French Montana & Doja Cat ft. Saweetie - Handstand

In summer 2021, fans suspected Doja was romantically involved with Bree Runway. The two frequently hung out together and shared intimate photos. Though most of Doja's fans figure they're just really close friends,

In November 2022, Doja was spotted in New York with comedian J. Cyrus, and the following summer they vacationed together on a yacht in Mexico. Once their relationship went public, troubling details about Cyrus surfaced—his exes accused him of abusive behavior. He apologized, and Doja Cat told critics to stay out of her personal life (though she put it way more bluntly).

Doja's Instagram perfectly matches her stage persona—vibrant and laid-back. She shares photos in quirky outfits and short clips from her TikTok.

Doja Cat is an avid experimenter. Her outfits, hairstyles, and bold makeup inspire not just fans but fashion trendsetters too. Her physique, which she maintains through regular gym sessions, is equally impressive.

Doja Cat Now

In August 2022, Doja made a drastic image change. Her style became darker, more "punk": she shaved her hair and eyebrows, and got new tattoos.

In January 2023, Amala's Paris Fashion Week appearance caused a sensation: she arrived at the Schiaparelli Couture Spring 2023 opening in a bright red dress with her entire body covered in tiny red Swarovski crystals. More than 30,000 were used to create the look.

This bold look had a hidden meaning. Doja Cat's fourth studio album titled 'Scarlet' went on sale on September 22, 2023. On this album, the singer—tired of accusations she'd gone too pop—returned to her underground roots with pure hip-hop and R&B. She called her previous two albums "mediocre pop" made for easy money, essentially agreeing with her critics.

Doja Cat - Paint The Town Red

The main single from the album, 'Paint the Town Red', topped the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard 100 charts. Additionally, the music video for this song was listed among the best videos globally by YouTube.