Doja Cat

American singer, rapper, and songwriter, Doja Cat, was born in Los Angeles, California as Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini on October 21, 1995. Her unique and multifaceted style reflects her varied upbringing. She spent her earliest years with her maternal grandmother.

At age 8, she moved with her mother and brother to an ashram in California where they practiced Hinduism. At the ashram, Dlamini developed an interest in dancing and practiced the classical Indian dance form Bharatanatyam. The family later moved to Oak Park, California.

Although Dlamini went to a performing arts high school she struggled to stay interested, preferring to skip classes to participate in online chat forums or continue her interest in dancing, which had evolved to include breakdancing and poplocking. She dropped out of school at age 16 to pursue a career in music and performance.

Developing her online presence and using platforms like SoundCloud she quickly amassed an ardent fan base drawn to her authentic expression. Her first viral moment arrived in 2018 with "MOOO!," a self-produced track that exhibited her playful lyrical style and genre-blurring innovation. Doja Cat's debut studio album, "Amala" (2018), showcased her versatile vocal range and lyrical prowess.

The subsequent release of "Hot Pink" (2019) elevated her profile, featuring the chart-topping hit "Say So" that led Forbes to call Doja Cat one of the top breakout stars of 2020. Her song "Streets'' became a TikTok sensation in 2021. Her third studio album, "Planet Her" was released in 2021, where it spent 19 weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.