Doja Cat is a singer of all things. Quite literally. Doja Cat, an LA-based singer and songwriter, has amassed over 2.5 million Instagram followers who regularly tune into her Instagram Live videos to hear her sing improvised songs about getting strep throat, animals, or really anything she's in the mood for. Besides her spontaneous social media songs, Doja has created quite the catalogue of music. Her impulsive, somewhat outrageous persona [1] is alluring to many rap audiences, as she gives off nostalgic vibes and is sometimes honest to a fault. The "Mooo!" singer may have been on your radar from her controversial tweets [2], or perhaps from her viral home video in which she dances around in a cow costume. If you aren't familiar with the singer, or even if you're already a fan, scroll through our list of 10 interesting facts about the Hot Pink creator.
Her Real Name Is Amala Zandile Dlamini
Although her name may have been given to her by her Jewish-American mom and South African dad, Doja elected to take on a stage name and persona. Doja explained to Dazed that her name choice came from her one of cats and weed [3]. She said, "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."
Her Music Influences Include Rihanna and D'Angelo
After moving from New York back to Los Angeles as a tween, Doja Cat sampled popular artists of the time and engaged with their music on her own SoundCloud demos. Other artists she has cited as inspiring her are Drake, Nicki Minaj, Pharell, and Erykah Badu [4], who may have been influence for her sexually explicit and open nature.
Her South African Heritage Influences Some of Her Music Choices
Doja's father, who she has said to several outlets, including The Los Angeles Times, was not a part of her childhood, is a South African actor and producer. She said her heritage is sometimes used to sample other genres [5] of music to make something entirely new, claiming, "Yeah, this album [Hot Pink] is a lot more African influenced," she said. "I can sample Blink-182 but put an African vocal sample in there. The whole song feels like you're in a tropical forest."
You Can Hear Her on the Empire Soundtrack
Before her viral video "Mooo!" Doja could be spotted on Empire's [6] first season, episode three. Her debut single "So High" [7] was described by Fader [8] as "spacey, eastern-influenced R&B."
Her Favourite Memes Aren't Her Own
Although Doja is well known from her meme/music video hybrid "Mooo!" she tells Crack magazine her favourite internet meme [9] is the "it's an avocaaado!" video. Her digital presence is riddled with meme-esque references, which gives her the chance to really engage with her fanbase.
Before Singing, She Tried Dancing
Noting her dad was musically gifted, performing on Broadway for the Lion King, Doja admitted to trying her hand in break dancing at a young age. Doja told Dazed, "I danced in a crew and competed around Los Angeles [10] in organised underground cypher/battles."
Her Biggest Turn On? A Really Big Nose
Although she hasn't gone into detail for why, she told Crack that she wants a partner with a big nose [11].
Her Favourite Feeling Is When Her "Pants Fit Just Right"
The singer is fairly open on social media, posting a series of sexy pictures and give-no-f*cks stories. Her openness with her body in photos may be a bit intimidating when projecting to over 2.3 million subscribers. However, she told Crack, "I struggle a lot because I have a really fat ass [12] and nothing else on my body matches it. It's like I've stolen someone else's lower half. If I find pants that hug everything and act as Spanx, nobody can f*ck with me, I'm on top of the world."
Her Fashion and Music Aesthetic Is '90s Inspired
What makes her nostalgic is "rain and 90s cartoons," [13] she told Crack, which may be what influenced her to create "Tia Tamera [14]," a single inspired by Sister, Sister. If you check out her Instagram feed, you'll see quite a lot of neon, bodysuits, Clueless-like outfits.
As a School Dropout, Singing Was Doja's First Job
Never having worked behind a counter, Doja says she hasn't had the "typical job" [15] experience most young people have while in school. At an early age, Doja made demos for GarageBand and SoundCloud and eventually got the traction she needed to garner an audience. Her writing process happens best at night, she told The Fader, and can sometimes come quickly [16], as her hit single "Mooo!" was written and the video made in 12 1/2 hours.