Even if you don’t know the name Doja Cat, you’ve definitely heard her hit song “Say So.” The rapper, 25, whose popularity skyrocketed after the tune became synonymous with TikTok dances, is set to perform at the American Music Awards with Bebe Rexha. The two powerhouses dropped their new collab, “Baby, I’m Jealous” on October 9, and will take the stage at the November 22 awards ceremony. Here’s 5 things to know about Doja Cat.
1. Her song ‘Say So’ went viral on TikTok. The tune was her fourth single from the November 2019 album Hot Pink, and it quickly exploded on the video-sharing platform, accompanied by a specific set of dance moves. As the world went into lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, the song was among the most popular on TikTok and skyrocketed to the top of the charts. As of November 2020, it is the most streamed song of the year by a female artist. It also spawned a remix featuring Nicki Minaj which dropped on May 1.
2. Doja Cat had a rumored feud with Nicki Minaj. Prior to her collab with the rapper, the hip-hop heavyweights were believed to have been in a feud. In early 2020, Doja Cat spoke out against people comparing her to Nicki. “I try to be careful so that I can give people the most original content because I know how much I sound like other people sometimes,” she said. Nevertheless, #DojaCatIsOverParty started trending on Twitter in April after a fan shared an illustrated mock-up of a Rolling Stone cover featuring Nicki with Doja and Megan Thee Stallion. When one Doja fan suggested that the “Say So” singer should be in the center spot, the Barbz bit back. However, the pair revealed their collab one month later, squashing any past beef.
3. She got her start on SoundCloud. The singer, born Amalaratna Zandile Dlamini, dropped out of school at the of 16 and began making her own music on SoundCloud. She adopted the name Doja Cat from her favorite strain of marijuana, later explaining, “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.” She was signed to RCA Records at the age of 17 and quickly started building a fanbase on Spotify after releasing her EP Purrr!.
4. Her song “Juicy” was her first viral hit. The song, which was released on her 2018 album Amala, became a popular hit and even spawned an August 2019 remix featuring rapper Tyga.
5. She has been nominated for multiple awards. Doja Cat has certainly made the best out of 2020. Her song, “Boss Bitch,” was part of the Birds of Prey soundtrack and went on to be certified gold by the RIAA. Meanwhile, her collab with Nicki has gone platinum three times. She has also received four American Music Award nominations, and one nod at the Billboard Music Awards. Not to mention, she won the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist both in the US and Europe!