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A CAT ON CANNABIS?

What is Doja Cat’s real name?

DOJA Cat is known for her hit singles Kiss Me More, Say So, and Vegas.

The Grammy Award winner rose to prominence with the release of her albums Hot Pink and Planet Her.

Doja Cat titled her debut studio album after her real first name
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Doja Cat titled her debut studio album after her real first nameCredit: Getty

What is Doja Cat's real name?

Born on October 21, 1995, Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini is famously known as the rapper Doja Cat.

Amala Ratna translates to "pure gem" in Sanskrit and Zandile translates to "they have multiplied" in Zulu.

Therefore, Doja's real name is believed to be of Indian and South African origin.

Hailing from the Tarzana area of Los Angeles, most of the Kiss Me More rapper's early life was centered in California.

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On March 30, 2018, Doja released her first album Amala.

Often considered her breakthrough, Amala consisted of the singles Tia Tamera, Mooo!, and Juicy.

How did Doja get her stage name?

According to Doja Cat, her stage name originated from her love of cats and cannabis.

"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," the hitmaker told .

She explained her artistic background: "My mom was a painter and loves to sing behind closed doors. 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.

"After moving from Oak Park around the age of 11 and a half, I started to take up break dancing. 

"I danced in a crew and competed around Los Angeles in organized underground cipher battles.

"In 11th grade, I dropped out and stopped dancing as much, and took up music to see if it would stick.

"Some friends in high school would tell me I should sing. I started teaching myself to sing in my room and would make songs on GarageBand with my desktop computer on the floor on a mattress."

Amala Ratna Dlamini is famously known as Say So and Need to Know rapper Doja Cat
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Amala Ratna Dlamini is famously known as Say So and Need to Know rapper Doja CatCredit: Getty

Doja added: "If your intent is to be happy, comfortable, genuine, and true in craft, you’re destined to be noticed.

"People can smell when things aren’t genuine. If your only intent is to be seen, you’ll never be seen."

What is Doja Cat’s net worth?

Since releasing her debut album, Doja Cat has achieved many accolades including a Grammy Award and several top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

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As of 2024, she has amassed an impressive net worth of $12 million, according to .

reports that she earns over $1 million per year.

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