Doja Cat: 5 Things to Know About the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards Host

Credit: Gilles Mingasson/ABC/Shutterstock

Doja Cat: 5 Things to Know About the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards Host

Music maven! Doja Cat made her mark on the entertainment industry well before she dropped her first record in 2018. The California native, whose real name is Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, dropped “So High” on SoundCloud in 2012 and has since become a household name. Before making her way into the music business, Doja dabbled in a variety of dance styles. “I was taking ballet, tap and jazz. I stayed a lot in Malibu and surfed in a surf camp for years around that time,” the singer told Dazed in August 2018 of her life as a teenager in Los Angeles. “After moving from Oak Park around the age of eleven-and-a-half, I started to take up break dancing. I danced in a crew and competed around Los Angeles in organized underground cypher/battles.” It wasn’t until she dropped out of high school in the 11th grade that she switched her focus to music. “Some friends in high school would tell me I should sing. I started teaching myself to sing in my room,” she explained. “And [I] would make songs on GarageBand with my desktop computer on the floor on a mattress.” [jwplayer 5Ij0Axrb-l3ahXupL] The rapper went viral in 2018 after dropping a pixelated homemade music video for her song, “Mooo!” The funky video showed Doja dressed in a cow-printed top and matching skirt while eating French fries and drinking a milkshake as different graphics popped up in the background. At one point she rapped about being a “cow” and then chowed down on a burger before dancing in a denim bikini top and jean shorts. The video has 2 million likes and has been viewed more than 92 million times. Doja’s love of video games and computers has also inspired her to pick up producing, which she revealed has only enhanced her music career. “I’ve been making beats and writing songs in my room since [about three years ago],” she told the outlet. “I think I should take piano lessons and delve a little deeper into the more complex areas of producing. I just want to excel.” The “Woman” singer was announced as the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards host earlier this year. She is set to run the show on Sunday, September 12, and will also take the stage to perform. Scroll down to learn more about Doja ahead of her VMAs gig: [podcast_block]

Credit: Gilles Mingasson/ABC/Shutterstock

Doja Cat: 5 Things to Know About the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards Host

Music maven! Doja Cat made her mark on the entertainment industry well before she dropped her first record in 2018. The California native, whose real name is Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, dropped “So High” on SoundCloud in 2012 and has since become a household name. Before making her way into the music business, Doja dabbled in a variety of dance styles. “I was taking ballet, tap and jazz. I stayed a lot in Malibu and surfed in a surf camp for years around that time,” the singer told Dazed in August 2018 of her life as a teenager in Los Angeles. “After moving from Oak Park around the age of eleven-and-a-half, I started to take up break dancing. I danced in a crew and competed around Los Angeles in organized underground cypher/battles.” It wasn’t until she dropped out of high school in the 11th grade that she switched her focus to music. “Some friends in high school would tell me I should sing. I started teaching myself to sing in my room,” she explained. “And [I] would make songs on GarageBand with my desktop computer on the floor on a mattress.” [jwplayer 5Ij0Axrb-l3ahXupL] The rapper went viral in 2018 after dropping a pixelated homemade music video for her song, “Mooo!” The funky video showed Doja dressed in a cow-printed top and matching skirt while eating French fries and drinking a milkshake as different graphics popped up in the background. At one point she rapped about being a “cow” and then chowed down on a burger before dancing in a denim bikini top and jean shorts. The video has 2 million likes and has been viewed more than 92 million times. Doja’s love of video games and computers has also inspired her to pick up producing, which she revealed has only enhanced her music career. “I’ve been making beats and writing songs in my room since [about three years ago],” she told the outlet. “I think I should take piano lessons and delve a little deeper into the more complex areas of producing. I just want to excel.” The “Woman” singer was announced as the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards host earlier this year. She is set to run the show on Sunday, September 12, and will also take the stage to perform. Scroll down to learn more about Doja ahead of her VMAs gig: [podcast_block]

Credit: Courtesy Doja Cat/Instagram

1. She’s Been Putting Out Music Since 2012

Doja gained fame at age 15 when she dropped “So High” on SoundCloud. The musician launched to superstardom in 2014 after she signed with RCA Records and released her debut EP, Purr!, in August of that year.

Credit: Todd Williamson/NBC

2. Her Stage Name Is Connected to Weed and Cats

The artist revealed the meaning behind her iconic stage name during an interview with Dazed. "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 said, noting that the “cat” part is because of her love of the animal in “every aspect.”

Credit: Gilles Mingasson/ABC/Shutterstock

3. She’s a Critically Acclaimed Artist

Doja released her first full-length album in 2018 with Amala, dropping Hot Pink one year later. Her third record, Planet Her, came out in June 2021. She won two American Music Awards in 2020, one Billboard Music Award in 2021 and was nominated for three Grammys the same year.

Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for RCA

4. Performing Runs in Her Blood

“My mom was a painter and loves to sing behind closed doors,” the “Need to Know” singer told Dazed. “My father is a South African actor who danced in Broadway musicals for Lion King. I took a little bit of everything from both of them.”

Credit: ABC/Shutterstock

5. She’s Sparked Controversy for Alleged Hate Speech More Than Once

Doja sparked controversy in August 2018 when some of her past homophobic tweets resurfaced. In one of the tweets, the “I Don’t Do Drugs” singer used the F-slur to refer to Tyler, the Creator and Early Sweatshirt in 2015. After retweeting one screenshot of the slur and captioning it, “Lmfaooooooo,” in 2018, she faced even more scrutiny.

“I’ve used horrible derogatory and hateful words towards people out of ignorance. I just want you guys to know that you’re incredibly special and I hold you dearly to my heart. I’m sorry for anyone I’ve offended or hurt deeply. You all are worth love and support,” she wrote via her Notes app in hopes of mending fences. “I apologize for the derogatory terms I’ve used in the past, and no one should be discriminated against for their race, religion, or sexual orientation. I love you and I hope to make more great music with and for you in the future.”

In May 2020, Doja again came under fire when a Twitter user claimed that a resurfaced video from the rapper was in an alt-right chatroom. The video was then linked to lyrics from 2015’s “Dindy Nuffin,” in which Doja uses racist slurs against Black people.

“In this video, I’m being completely f--king blackout drunk and completely f--king dumb,” the musician claimed during an Instagram Live following the incident. “This is where I’m saying, 'Shut the f--k up, you … ’ and then I say, hard-R, the N-word. Now they thought and maybe some of you thought that I was saying, ‘Call me the hard-R N-word.'” She didn’t use the exact quote, but she insisted, “I am in no way into race play.”

Doja concluded: “If you’re a true fan of me, if you’re young … my behavior isn’t something that always needs to be followed. I’m not perfect. I shouldn’t be doing dumb shit. But also, I need to stand up for myself instead of making a video that’s diplomatically and politically correct. … I just don’t want to be the person who f--king bulls--ts you. 'Cause I know that what makes me happy is that you guys are happy, and you know what the f--k is real.”