Doja Cat

Early Life

Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, known professionally as Doja Cat, was born on October 21, 1995, in Tarzana, Los Angeles, California. Her mother, Deborah Sawyer, is a graphic designer of Jewish heritage, while her father, Dumisani Dlamini, is a South African performer of Zulu descent. Despite her father's fame in the Broadway musical "Sarafina!", Doja Cat has described her relationship with him as estranged, claiming she has never met him. After her birth, she moved to Rye, New York, where she lived with her maternal grandmother for five years before returning to California with her mother and brother.

Career

Doja Cat's music career began in the Los Angeles underground hip-hop scene, where she performed at parties and cyphers. She taught herself to sing and rap, using GarageBand and uploading her music to SoundCloud. Her first significant release was the single "So High" in 2012. In 2014, she signed with Kemosabe Records, an imprint of RCA Records, at the age of 17. Her debut album, "Amala," was released in 2018, followed by the critically acclaimed "Hot Pink" in 2019 and "Planet Her" in 2021, which solidified her status as a pop-rap icon. Doja Cat is known for her versatility, blending genres like contemporary R&B, pop, and electronic music, and has been recognized with numerous awards, including American Music Awards and a Grammy.

Personal Life

Doja Cat is known for her humorous internet presence and has expressed a desire to keep her personal life private. She previously lived in Beverly Hills, California, and was in a brief open relationship with musician Jawny. In 2020, she donated $100,000 to the Justice for Breonna Taylor Fund, showcasing her commitment to social issues. Despite her struggles with addiction and mental health, she continues to thrive in her career, being named one of the world's most influential people in 2023 by Time.