Doja Cat Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Doja Cat’s Net Worth?

As a rapper, singer, and songwriter, Doja Cat has amassed a net worth of $12 million. She first made waves as a teenager by creating and uploading music to SoundCloud. At 17, she secured a record deal, leading to the release of her albums “Amala,” “Hot Pink,” and “Planet Her,” both of the latter achieving top ten positions on the Billboard 200. Notably, Doja Cat is adept at leveraging social media, particularly TikTok and YouTube, to promote her artistry.

In February 2022, Forbes published a list of the highest earners in hip-hop, which included a claim that Doja Cat made $25 million in 2021, attributed to her flourishing music career and expanding global partnerships with brands like Pepsi and CandyCrush. However, this figure was not verified and remains unconfirmed.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Born Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini in 1995 in Los Angeles, California, Doja Cat was raised by her mother, a painter, and her father, an actor, composer, and film producer from South Africa. Shortly after her birth, Dlamini and her mother relocated to New York City, where they lived for five years before moving to the Oak Park area of California. There, Dlamini engaged in tap, ballet, and jazz classes. Eventually, the family returned to Los Angeles, residing in an ashram and practicing Hinduism, which fueled Dlamini’s passion for dance. She initially explored Indian classical dance and transitioned to breakdancing. In high school, she competed in Los Angeles with a professional pop-locking group and ultimately dropped out to focus on music.

Using the GarageBand application, Dlamini taught herself to rap and sing. She would upload her music to SoundCloud, where her first significant release, a track titled “So High,” captured the attention of record producer Dr. Luke in 2012, leading to her signing with his label. In the summer of 2014, she made her debut EP, “Purrr!” available under the stage name Doja Cat.

“Amala” and Meme Fame

Doja Cat released the singles “Roll with Us,” “Go to Town,” and “Candy” in early 2018. These tracks were featured on her debut studio album, “Amala,” which initially received minimal attention from critics and did not chart well. However, her profile surged that summer when she posted the music video for her playful song “Mooo!” on YouTube, showcasing her as a cow dreamer. The video went viral, giving rise to a popular meme. In early 2019, she followed this with the singles “Tia Tamera” and “Juicy,” the latter of which was remixed and marked Doja Cat’s entry onto the Billboard Hot 100.

“Hot Pink” Breakthrough

In November 2019, Doja Cat broke through as a recording artist with the release of her second studio album, “Hot Pink.” The album reached its peak at number nine on the Billboard 200 and featured hit singles such as “Bottom.”

Tracks like “Bitch,” “Rules,” and “Say So” contributed to Doja Cat’s rise in popularity, with “Say So” marking her first top-ten single on the Hot 100, reaching number five. In 2020, a remix featuring Nicki Minaj propelled the song to number one.

The remarkable success of “Hot Pink” positioned Doja Cat as one of the breakout stars of 2020. She was ranked fifth on Billboard’s Top New Artists of 2020 list, while Rolling Stone recognized her as the top breakthrough artist of that year. As a result, Doja Cat received three Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year for her hit “Say So.”

“Planet Her” and the MTV Video Music Awards

In April 2021, Doja Cat previewed her anticipated album with the single “Kiss Me More,” featuring SZA, which maintained a top-ten position on the Billboard Hot 100 for 19 weeks, reaching number three. A short time later, she released the singles “Need to Know” and “You Right,” followed by her album “Planet Her,” which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, also ranking in the top three in markets such as Canada, Australia, and the UK.

After the success of “Planet Her,” Doja Cat took on the role of host for the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards. At the ceremony, she garnered nominations for Artist of the Year, Video of the Year, and Best Visual Effects. Ultimately, she won Best Collaboration alongside SZA for “Kiss Me More” and Best Art Direction with Saweetie for the “Best Friend” video.

Various Collaborations

Doja Cat has collaborated with numerous other artists throughout her career. She has lent her talent to tracks by 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

Generally private about her personal life, Doja Cat opts not to disclose details about her relationships. Nevertheless, she has hinted at her queer sexuality and has been romantically linked with musicians like Jawny and Bree Runway. In early 2021, she purchased a home in Beverly Hills for $2.2 million and subsequently listed it the following year for $2.5 million.

Despite her strong social media presence, Doja Cat has occasionally stirred controversy with her comments. In 2018, she faced backlash when a past tweet that included the word “faggot” resurfaced. She later apologized and removed the tweet. Additionally, she faced criticism for downplaying COVID-19 as simply a “flu” and for celebrating during the pandemic.

In July 2022, Doja Cat became embroiled in a texting privacy scandal involving actor Noah Schnapp concerning actor Joseph Quinn. After sending Schnapp a private message asking him to connect her with Quinn, Schnapp shared the conversation on his TikTok account with 26 million followers.