Doja Cat Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Doja Cat’s Net Worth?

With a net worth of $12 million, Doja Cat is a rapper, singer, and songwriter. Her journey began as a teenager when she gained recognition for producing and sharing music on SoundCloud. After signing a record deal at just 17, she released the albums “Amala,” “Hot Pink,” and “Planet Her,” with the latter two making it into the Billboard 200’s top ten. Doja Cat is also well-known for her savvy use of social media platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, to promote her music.

In February 2022, Forbes published a list of the highest-paid individuals in hip-hop, asserting that Doja Cat earned $25 million in 2021, fueled by her music career and expanding international presence, as well as brand partnerships with companies like Pepsi and CandyCrush. However, this $25 million figure remained unverified and could not be confirmed.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Born in 1995 in Los Angeles, California, Doja Cat’s real name is Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini. Her mother is a painter, and her father hails from South Africa, working as an actor, composer, and film producer. Shortly after her birth, she relocated with her mother to New York City, where they lived for five years before moving to the Oak Park area of California. It was there that Dlamini started taking tap, ballet, and jazz lessons. The family later returned to Los Angeles, residing in an ashram in the mountains while practicing Hinduism. During this period, her passion for dance flourished, beginning with Indian classical dance and eventually transitioning to breakdancing. While in high school, Dlamini participated in competitions throughout Los Angeles as part of a professional pop-locking group, ultimately dropping out to focus on her music career.

Teaching herself to sing and rap using the GarageBand app, Dlamini uploaded her music to SoundCloud. Her first significant upload, the song “So High,” attracted the attention of record producer Dr. Luke in 2012, leading to her signing with his label. In the summer of 2014, under the stage name Doja Cat, she released her debut EP, “Purrr!”

“Amala” and Meme Fame

In early 2018, Doja Cat released three singles: “Roll with Us,” “Go to Town,” and “Candy.” These tracks were included in her debut studio album, “Amala,” which failed to gain much traction among critics at the time of release. However, in the summer of that year, her novelty song “Mooo!” went viral on YouTube, showcasing the singer imagining herself as a cow, and generating a popular meme. This success led to the release of the singles “Tia Tamera” and “Juicy” in early 2019, with “Juicy” later being remixed to become Doja Cat’s first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Hot Pink” Breakthrough

Doja Cat achieved her breakthrough as a recording artist with the release of her second studio album, “Hot Pink,” in November of 2019. The album eventually reached number nine on the Billboard 200 chart and produced hit singles like “Bottom”…

Doja Cat achieved her first top-ten single with the track “Say So,” which reached number five on the Hot 100; a remix featuring Nicki Minaj later topped the charts in 2020.

Thanks to the popularity of “Hot Pink,” Doja Cat emerged as one of 2020’s breakout artists. She was ranked number five on Billboard’s Top New Artists list for 2020, while Rolling Stone recognized her as the biggest breakthrough artist of the year. Additionally, she received three Grammy Award nominations, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year for her hit “Say So.”

“Planet Her” and MTV Video Music Awards

In April 2021, Doja Cat released the single “Kiss Me More,” featuring SZA, as a teaser for her forthcoming album. The track spent 19 weeks in the Billboard Hot 100’s top ten, eventually peaking at number three. Afterward, she launched the singles “Need to Know” and “You Right,” leading up to the release of her album “Planet Her,” which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and also made it into the top three in Canada, Australia, and the UK.

Following the triumph of “Planet Her,” Doja Cat hosted the MTV Video Music Awards in 2021. At the event, she received nominations for Artist of the Year, Video of the Year, and Best Visual Effects. Doja Cat was awarded Best Collaboration, which she shared with SZA for “Kiss Me More,” and Best Art Direction, which she received alongside Saweetie for the video of “Best Friend.”

Other Collaborations

Doja Cat has collaborated with numerous artists across the music industry. She has been featured on tracks with The Weeknd, Lil Wayne, City Girls, Ozuna, Bebe Rexha, and Ariana Grande, to name a few. In September 2021, she appeared on the song “Scoop” from Lil Nas X’s debut studio album “Montero.”

Personal Life and Controversies

Regarding her personal life, Doja Cat tends to be reserved and prefers to keep her relationship details private. Nevertheless, she has hinted at her queer sexuality and has been romantically linked to musicians like Jawny and Bree Runway. In early 2021, she purchased a luxurious $2.2 million home in Beverly Hills, which she later listed for $2.5 million in the following year.

As a prominent figure on social media, Doja Cat has occasionally attracted controversy for her statements. In 2018, she faced criticism when a past tweet containing the word “faggot” surfaced, prompting her to issue apologies and delete the post. Later, she received backlash for downplaying the severity of COVID-19, referring to it as merely a “flu,” and for celebrating during the pandemic.

In July 2022, Doja Cat found herself entangled in a texting privacy breach incident with actor Noah Schnapp, concerning actor Joseph Quinn. She had privately messaged Schnapp to ask if he could facilitate a connection with Quinn, and Schnapp shared a screenshot of their exchange with his 26 million TikTok followers.