Doja Cat went on a seemingly random post spree directed towards her dad on May 27. She took shots at the man on both her Instagram and X, leaving many people to wonder who exactly her father is. Moreover, the burning question for some is what he did to deserve her harsh words. Here’s everything you need to know about Doja Cat’s dad.
Dumisani Dlamini is a South African actor and dancer. He is best known for starring in the film adaptation Sarafina! alongside Whoopi Goldberg in 1992, after starring in the musical. Overall, he has more than three decades of both stage and film performances to his name. He met Doja’s mother, Deborah Elizabeth Sawyer, in the 90s while he was performing Sarafina! on Broadway. They shared a brief relationship, which resulted in the birth of Doja, whose real name is Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini. However, Doja Cat was raised by her mom in the U.S.
Doja Cat’s dad married a woman named Ophelia Mulela in 2023 and has been engaged twice in the past. He seemingly left her mother after her birth. Since she rose to fame, however, he has shown his support for her a few times on his social media. On occasion, he has shared pictures and videos of her, and left comments on her posts. Additionally, while there’s no clear evidence on whether they have indeed met, Dlamini shared that he and Doja connected before she blew up. While chatting with Metro FM in 2022, he insisted that “the company that runs her entertainment has been blocking me. They know that if I could get hold of her, maybe she will disappear from the picture.”
On May 27, Doja Cat took to both her Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) accounts to leave some scathing remarks about her dad. She first updated her X bio to read, “My dad’s a deadbeat, but I did well.” The bio has since been deleted. Soon after, she followed up with an Instagram post featuring a closeup of her face and the caption, “Dad, lemme know when/if you need me to re-up your makeup cabinet cuz you a b***h.”
She also tagged him on the post, adding, “@official_dumisanidlamini I got Urban Decay, I got Pat Mcgrath labs, I got Fenty, I got Scott Barnes, let me know. I got your back, sis.” When a fan left a comment on the post saying, “You are messing with the wrong one. Zulus don’t play… your ancestors will humble you,” Doja simply replied, “Go give the deadbeat a kiss on the lips for me.”
Despite her evident vitriol towards her father, however, she later changed the post’s caption. Around midnight, she edited it, and it now reads, “Jk love you I was mad.” She also limited comments on the post. While she didn’t offer any explanations as to what led her to make the initial post, it is not too hard to speculate, as Doja Cat has been candid about her estranged relationship with her dad in the past. Unsurprisingly, fans were divided in their response to Doja’s targeted posts towards Dlamini.
Doja Cat doesn’t care what people thinks. She’s become one of the most provocative pop stars of the 2020s, and a lot of her provocation is aimed at those close to her. Doja has criticized her fans for taking her music and artistry too seriously, and her latest Instagram post has those same fans theorizing that she’s turned her ire towards a member of her own family. The “Agora Hills” singer doesn’t mention anybody by name, but there are some clues as to who it could be.
Doja Cat posted two seemingly random photos of herself on May 26. The first was close up of her face with a shocked expression. The second, even more bizarrely, was of her backside with a robe covering it. It would have been tricky to make heads or tails of the post’s meaning, but the caption added a level of significance that caught fans off guard. “I’m gonna turn you into my next project and you’re gonna have to listen to it for the rest of your god forsaken life,” she wrote. No elaboration, or hashtags hinting at her target. The widely accepted theory is that Doja Cat was talking about her father, Dumisani Dlamini.
Dlamini is an actor and dancer hailing from South Africa. He has praised Doja Cat’s success in various outlets, but the two have never actually met in person. Doja talked about the psychological impact this had on her as a child during a 2021 profile with Rolling Stone. “I felt confused, a little bit,” she recalled. “It’s a little strange to see everybody else with their dad, and you didn’t even really have one.” She has spoken highly of Dlamani’s skills as a performer, but made it clear that was not an influence on her own career.
The piece of evidence that the father theory is Doja Cat’s X bio. The singer recently changed her bio to specifically refer to Dlamini’s absence. “My dad’s a deadbeat but I did well,” it currently reads. Doja had more to say about Dlamini in an Instagram Story. On May 27, the singer spun a makeup tutorial into a scathing indictment of her father’s character. “Dad, let me know when/if you need me to re-up your makeup cabinet because you are a b*tch.” Seems like an open-and-shut case.
Doja Cat is of course known for her musical talents, but she is also a huge video game nerd. The California native streams on Twitch occasionally, and one of her favorites at the moment is Fortnite. The battle royale game, which launched in late 2017, grew immensely fast, thanks to Ninja mainly. The multiplayer title is always bringing new updates, DLCs, and loads of in-game concert events. As you can probably surmise, not all of the changes are welcomed by everyone. Lately, Doja Cat has not enjoyed her recent sessions on Fortnite, as a series of rageful posts on X suggests.
According to AllHipHop, Doja is having major issues with a weapon, the Chains of Hades, and the Water Bending ability. “FORTNITE WOULDN’T BE SO F***ING EMBARRASSING IF THEY MADE LOBBIES WHERE PEOPLE WITH ACTUAL AIM SKILLS AND FPS EXPERIENCE DIDN’T DEAL WITH LOSERS USING F***ING WATER BENDING AND CHAINS OF HADES.” Doja did not stop there though. “WATER BENDING IS A F***ING CRUTCH YOU ARE NOT GOOD AT THE GAME BECAUSE OF WATER BENDING, I WOULD BECOME SEVERELY DEPRESSED IF I HAD TO RELY ON ANY OF THESE STUPID NON F***ING WEAPONS.”
FORTNITE WOULDN’T BE SO FUCKING EMBARRASSING IF THEY MADE LOBBIES WHERE PEOPLE WITH ACTUAL AIM SKILLS AND FPS EXPERIENCE DIDN’T DEAL WITH LOSERS USING FUCKING WATER BENDING AND CHAINS OF HADES. *
WATER BENDING IS A FUCKING CRUTCH YOU ARE NOT GOOD AT THE GAME BECAUSE OF WATER BENDING, I WOULD BECOME SEVERELY DEPRESSED IF I HAD TO RELY ON ANY OF THESE STUPID NON FUCKING WEAPONS*
With one an important player venting their frustrations, developers at Fortnite were bound to come across it one way or another. Sure enough, that turned out to be the case. A report from Dexerto says that Epic removed the overpowered weapon shortly after Doja’s tweets. The Chain of Hades was brought out during the beginning of Chapter 5 Season 2 and it is out of the game for the current season.
What are your thoughts on Doja Cat getting furious with certain gaming mechanics in Fortnite? Do you share the rapper’s sentiments, or is she overreacting? What state is the popular battle royale game in right now in your opinion and why? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Doja Cat and Fortnite. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
Recently, Chains Of Hades, a new Greek-inspired weapon, was added to Fortnite. Doja Cat has made it abundantly clear that she absolutely hates it.
In now-deleted tweets (as Eurogamer reports), Doja wrote, “If you’re horrible and garbage at Fortnite make sure you grab a Chains of Hades whip to pass the time. Dumb c*nts,” and, “If Fortnite knew what was good for them they’d get rid of Chains of Hades.”
In other non-deleted tweets, Doja wrote, “FORTNITE WOULDN’T BE SO F*CKING EMBARRASSING IF THEY MADE LOBBIES WHERE PEOPLE WITH ACTUAL AIM SKILLS AND FPS EXPERIENCE DIDN’T DEAL WITH LOSERS USING F*CKING WATER BENDING AND CHAINS OF HADES. *,” and, “WATER BENDING IS A F*CKING CRUTCH YOU ARE NOT GOOD AT THE GAME BECAUSE OF WATER BENDING, I WOULD BECOME SEVERELY DEPRESSED IF I HAD TO RELY ON ANY OF THESE STUPID NON F*CKING WEAPONS*.”
FORTNITE WOULDN’T BE SO FUCKING EMBARRASSING IF THEY MADE LOBBIES WHERE PEOPLE WITH ACTUAL AIM SKILLS AND FPS EXPERIENCE DIDN’T DEAL WITH LOSERS USING FUCKING WATER BENDING AND CHAINS OF HADES. *
WATER BENDING IS A FUCKING CRUTCH YOU ARE NOT GOOD AT THE GAME BECAUSE OF WATER BENDING, I WOULD BECOME SEVERELY DEPRESSED IF I HAD TO RELY ON ANY OF THESE STUPID NON FUCKING WEAPONS*
After Doja’s tweets, Fortnite makers Epic Games actually did remove the weapon from the game’s tournament mode. As NME notes, Epic says this was due to a bug (and not necessarily in response to Doja’s complaints), but the weapon can still be found in other game modes.
Doja was less bothered when her album leaked ahead of its release date. In April, Doja wrote, “its definitely messed up cuz i wanted to put it out myself but theres nothing i can do about it!! thats just how its gonna be but at least i can just keep being creative and look forward to the awesome things i have coming up!!”
Rappers are known for their bold and unapologetic personas, but even the toughest MCs have found themselves in situations where a public apology was necessary. From J. Cole to Soulja Boy, Cam’ron, and others, rappers’ apologies have taken various forms throughout the years. Rappers seeking forgiveness and admitting their mistakes, no matter why they did it, stand out in a culture that often glorifies swagger and defiance. At times, rappers apologize and put their tough exteriors aside, reminding us that vulnerability can coexist with bravado in hip-hop.
J.Cole
J. Cole raised eyebrows by publicly addressing his diss aimed at Kendrick Lamar on the song “7 Minute Drill.” Though not explicitly saying “I’m sorry,” many fans view Cole’s speech at the 2024 Dreamville Festival as an apology to Lamar. During the festival, Cole expressed remorse for using his new album to retaliate against Lamar’s shots at the “Big 3” on “Like That” by Future and Metro Boomin.
After praising Lamar as “one of the greatest,” Cole called his own diss track the “lamest” and “goofiest” thing he’s ever done. He begged fans for forgiveness, admitting the past few days felt “terrible,” and invited Lamar to “take your best shot” in response, vowing to “take that s**t on the chin.” Cole’s unexpected humility led to the song’s removal from streaming services, highlighting the humbling power of rap apologies.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 10: Rapper Soulja Boy is seen backstage during his SouljaWorld tour at Buckhead Theatre on September 10, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Soulja Boy found himself in hot water and forced to apologize after releasing the song “Let’s Be Real” in 2011 with lyrics that were deemed anti-patriotic towards the U.S. Army. The controversial lines “F–k the FBI and the army troops/B—h, fighting for what? Be your own man” sparked backlash, leading to reports that military stores would not carry his new record.
Soulja Boy expressed remorse in a blog post on Global Grind, stating, “When I expressed my frustration with the U.S. Army, not only did my words come out wrong, I was wrong to even speak them.” He explained he was venting frustrations about the economy and constant wars of the post-9/11 era, questioning, “What if we had never gone to war?” Despite being no stranger to controversy, the rapper’s lyrics prompted an apology to the troops some felt he had disrespected.
Cam’ron
In April 2007, Cam’ron sparked outrage during a 60 Minutes interview with Anderson Cooper when he stated he wouldn’t snitch even if a serial killer lived next door, affirming the “Stop Snitchin’” mentality. Four days later, the rapper issued an apology, saying, “I in no way was intending to be malicious or harmful. I apologize deeply for this error in judgment.” Despite not excusing his remarks, Cam’ron explained that he was venting frustrations about criminal injustice in inner cities while acknowledging that his remarks might offend victims and those who risk their lives to protect them.
The Jewish people I know are very wise with there money so that’s why I said we been gettin Jewish money I never thought anyone would take offense I’m sorry if I offended everybody never my intention I love all people
An apology from the rapper 21 Savage arrived during the 2018 holidays for controversial song lyrics that struck some as lacking goodwill and understanding. The rapper faced backlash for “ASMR” from his album, i am > i was. The lyrics, “We been gettin’ that Jewish money, everything is Kosher,” led the rapper to issue an apology for what many considered bigoted and offensive toward the Jewish community. 21 Savage took to Twitter on Christmas Eve to express remorse for offending the Jewish community with lyrics that also drew criticism when quoted by NBA star Lebron James. Savage stated that this particular bar was intended as a compliment about financial wisdom, not an offense.
In 2018, Lil Pump adopted a similar approach when addressing backlash to his song “Butterfly Doors,” in which he made derogatory remarks about the Asian community while mimicking stereotypical eye gestures. Facing mounting pressure from critics like Crazy Rich Asians star Awkwafina, the rapper posted an Instagram apology on Christmas day, stating he meant no harm and has Asian friends, pleading, “It’s all love.”
In 2020, Doja Cat addressed past insensitive remarks on social media regarding rumors that she had used racist language in various white supremacist chat rooms. She stated, “I want to address what’s been happening on Twitter.” She acknowledged using public chat rooms since childhood but clarified, “I personally have never been involved in any racist conversations. I’m sorry to anyone I offended.”
Referring to surfaced clips of her in “racist misogynistic” chat rooms that led to #DojaIsOverParty trending, the rapper affirmed “I’m a Black woman. Half of my family is Black from South Africa and I’m very proud of where I come from.” She added, “I love you all and I’m sorry for upsetting or hurting any of you. That’s not my character and I’m determined to show that to everybody moving forward.”
Lil Mama
At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, an unexpected and bizarre incident overshadowed the highly-anticipated performance of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ hit song “Empire State Of Mind.” As the iconic duo delivered the show-closing rendition, celebrating their New York roots, an uninvited guest joined them on stage. Lil Mama, a then-rising rapper known for her single “Lip Gloss,” unexpectedly crashed the performance, running up alongside the two superstars.
Jay-Z had swiftly signaled for Lil Mama to exit the stage. However, the young artist remained defiant. She struck a B-girl stance as the headliners concluded their powerful tribute to the Big Apple. The following day, Lil Mama attempted to explain her actions. She offered an apology in a statement to MTV. “I did not mean any disrespect towards Jay-Z or Alicia Keys. I admire them and look up to them as role models,” she expressed. “‘Empire State of Mind’ had my emotions running high. In that moment, I came up onstage to celebrate my two icons singing about NY.”
Lil Nas X addressed backlash over his religion-themed single “J Christ” in a video. He apologized for a TikTok where he consumed communion elements dressed as Jesus. This drew criticism from artists like Lecrae for perceived mockery of Christianity. Though saying “I’m not an evil demon trying to destroy someone’s values,” Nas admitted “I messed up severely,” and the controversy took a “psychological toll.”
He apologized for going “excessive” with the promotional visuals but he defended portraying Jesus, noting others have done the same. The eye-catching “J Christ” video depicts Biblical scenes. It hints at a continued exploration of LGBTQ and religious themes on Nas X’s upcoming album. This follows his debut Montero album, which sparked both praise and backlash.
Ye (Kanye West)
The outspoken and controversial rapper Ye has frequently found himself in situations where he’s had to apologize for his brash statements. Given his tendency for bold and provocative remarks, it’s almost inevitable that he would offend or upset various individuals and groups along the way. In the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Katrina disaster in 2005, Ye made headlines when he bluntly declared on live television that “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.”
This comment sparked significant backlash and controversy. In 2010, during an interview on the Today show, Kanye expressed regret for his charged remark, stating, “I would tell George Bush, in my moment of intense frustration, I did not have valid grounds to label him a racist. In highly emotional situations like that, we as human beings sometimes fail to choose our words wisely.”
During another incident, an inebriated Ye interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for Best Female Video at the MTV Video Music Awards. “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you and I’mma let you finish,” he remarked, “but Beyoncé had one of the greatest videos ever. Of all time!” Shortly after being escorted out, the rapper offered an all-caps apology to his blog.
“I’m sooooo sorry to Taylor Swift, her fans, and her mother,” Ye penned in his apology. “I spoke to her mom right after, and she said the same thing mine would’ve said. She is extremely talented!” Later, in 2016, Ye released “Famous,” rapping, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/ Why? I made that chick famous.” This ignited further drama between the two and Ye’s then-wife Kim Kardashian over whether Swift approved the line, rendering that initial apology from the rapper a distant memory.
The Game
In the wake of a tumultuous and public falling out that involved traded insults and diss tracks, Game’s association with G-Unit, Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records appeared irreparably damaged. However, in June 2009, he reached out and extended an apology to his former mentor, 50 Cent. During an interview with MTV, Game stated, “For 50, I’m just gonna apologize to him, just as a man. It has nothing to do with music, or beef, or nothing like that. It ain’t about being the bigger man. He can take it and say, Game is apologizing, Game’s a sucka, he’s apologizing. I’m apologizing for me to him, to [Dr.] Dre, to Jimmy Iovine, to Eminem, to all the fans.”
Kid Cudi
In a heated incident during a December 2009 performance at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom, rapper Kid Cudi reacted impulsively after an object thrown from the audience struck him. Amidst the chaos, Cudi leaped off the stage and lashed out. He punched an unsuspecting concertgoer, Michael Sharpe, in the face, despite Sharpe’s lack of involvement in the initial provocation.
Months later, in February 2010, Sharpe spoke to TMZ, revealing that Kid Cudi had reached out to extend an apology and offer a conciliatory gesture – an all-expenses-paid weekend trip to New York City. The olive branch didn’t end there. In June of that year, during Kid Cudi’s set at the Sasquatch Music Festival in Washington state, he brought Sharpe on stage and acknowledged the unfortunate Vancouver incident to the crowd. Cudi stated, “Remember that kid I punched in Vancouver? This is him. I’ve brought him here to hang out. It’s all good now; he’s forgiven me.”
The Met Gala annually brings out the best looks and creativity the fashion world has to offer, and given that Doja Cat is Doja Cat, she leaned into the creativity element of the whole thing at yesterday’s event. This year’s theme was “The Garden Of Time,” and Doja showed up in a white t-shirt dress that appeared to be soaking wet, and as a result was largely see-through (making the videos below at least slightly NSFW).
While the connection between Doja’s outfit and the Met Gala theme may not be immediately evident, she explained in an Entertainment Tonight interview. She said, “I know that people are going to do flowers, but my flower of choice is the most-used flower, and it’s cotton. And so I wanted to do a white t-shirt, also because a white t-shirt is timeless and it felt very poetic to choose this, and I knew it wasn’t going to blend in too much and I don’t really like to blend in.”
As for how she achieved the wet look, Doja initially said it was water before conceding (“I’m not supposed to give the secret,” she said) that she used hair gel to maintain the saturated appearance.
Check out the interview and another video of her outfit below.
Doja Cat pulled up on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon for a bit of fun. Fresh off her Coachella performance, Doja brought one of her dancer’s costumes, which Fallon had no issue trying on, and attempted to bust a dance move as The Roots played “Demons in the background.
You can see the moment below.
Last month, Doja Cat unleashed her deluxe album, Scarlet 2 CLAUDE, via Kemosabe Records/RCA Records. Alongside this anticipated release, Doja Cat has revealed the music video for her latest track, “MASC,” featuring Teezo Touchdown. Directed and shot in Los Angeles by Doja Cat and Jamal Peters, the music video debuted on MTV Live, MTVU, and MTV Biggest Pop, as well as on the Paramount Times Square billboards.
Last year’s release of Doja Cat’s fourth studio album, “Scarlet,” garnered critical acclaim and featured chart-topping hits like “Attention,” “Paint The Town Red,” and “Agora Hills.” Notably, her single “Paint The Town Red” made history by spending three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, becoming the first rap song to achieve this feat in 2023. “Agora Hills” also clinched the top spot on Top 40 Radio, marking Doja Cat’s eighth No. 1 at the format and peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. With the release of Scarlet 2 CLAUDE, Doja Cat continues to captivate audiences with her innovative sound and undeniable talent.
Doja Cat has long been one of the most vibrant personalities in music, so it’s about time she sat down for a Tonight Show chat with Jimmy Fallon, which she finally did on yesterday’s (May 1).
She was all over the show, too. She started with the interview, and the chat began with Doja talking about her origins in music, and even before that, her origins as part of a dance crew. They also discussed the upcoming European leg of Doja’s Scarlet tour, with Doja revealing it’s going to be based on hair and just “a very hairy show” overall.
From there, she discussed her first concert: an Earth, Wind & Fire show at about five years old, during which she was apparently even pulled on stage. Her next concert, a Beyoncé show, was less immersive, as they were up in the nosebleeds for that show. They two also looked back at Doja’s recent Coachella performance and even got Fallon in one of the hair-covered outfits from the show.
Later, Doja participated in a game of “Musical Impressions,” during which Doja was tasked with covering specific songs in specific musical styles. A highlight was transforming her own “Paint The Town Red” into a Broadway-style number.
Doja Cat has been a fierce lion online. The “Pain The Town Red” rapper hasn’t been pussyfooting around anything attached to her name. Whether addressing the leaking of Scarlet II or parents who bring their children to her uncensored shows, Doja shared a few choice words online. Well, that unfiltered approach has seeped into her photoshoots.
Yesterday (April 26), Doja released a series of waterside NSFW photos sporting a transparent white one-piece bathing suit. The images captured by Jacob Webster quickly began circulating across social media for more reason than one. While most users began to lust over the entertainer’s curves, others saw it as an opportunity to put their photo editing skills to go use, thus Asszilla, or #Dojzilla was born.
Using one of the images from the gallery, seemingly captured around her critically acclaimed headlining set at Coachella 2024, one user attempted to recreate a screen from Godzilla. But instead of the monster terrorizing the city, that terror was replaced by Doja’s butt. Doja decided to get in on the budding joke by uploaded the meme to her official X (formerly Twitter) page.
Doja Cat frequently raps and sings about explicit topics in her music. At the same time, “Say So” was one of the biggest pop hits of 2020 and is a song that listeners of all ages can get into. So, this could create an issue where a younger fan wanting to see Doja live could be exposed to material their parents would find objectionable and problematic.
It would seem Doja has encountered criticism about this recently or has at least been thinking about the topic: Late last night/early this morning (April 26), she wrote in a trio of tweets, “idk what the f*ck you think this is but i don’t make music for children so leave your kids at home motherf*cker,” “im rapping about c*m why are you bringing your offspring to my show,” and “rappin about eatin dick and pissin on his v-cut, leave your mistake at home*.”
idk what the fuck you think this is but i don’t make music for children so leave your kids at home motherfucker
Meanwhile, she recently had a more laissez-faire reaction to the deluxe edition of Scarlet leaking, tweeting, “its definitely messed up cuz i wanted to put it out myself but theres nothing i can do about it!! thats just how its gonna be but at least i can just keep being creative and look forward to the awesome things i have coming up!!”
Its Litney Spears, Bitch
(@avas_ghost) 