Doja Cat Responds To Racism Allegations, Denies Taking Part In Racist Conversations
On Sunday night, Doja Cat issued a statement responding to allegations that she had made racist remarks online in the past, per Billboard. Over the weekend, the #DojaCatIsOverParty hashtag began to trend along with allegations that the singer — born Amalaratna Zandile Dlamini — had participated in racist conversations on online chats and had released songs mocking the victims of police brutality. In the statement she released on her Instagram account, the singer apologized for the song — but denied that she had ever been involved in any racist conversations online.
“I want to address what’s been happening on Twitter. I’ve used public chat rooms to socialize since I was a child. I shouldn’t have been on some of those chat room sites, but I personally have never been involved in any racist conversations. I’m sorry to everyone I offended.”
Doja went on to say that she identified as a black woman and was proud of where she came from. The singer’s father is the South African actor Dumisani Dlamini, who is best known in the United States for starring alongside Whoopi Goldberg in 1992’s Sarafina!
Doja also explained her 2015 song “Dindu Nuffin,” admitting that she wrote the song, but also that the track was “misguided.” The singer said the song was written in response to those who used the phrase — which is a racially charged term referring to proclamations of criminal innocence by suspects under investigation — to offend her. The controversial track was a failed attempt to reclaim the term, per the artist.
“It was written in response to people who often used that term to hurt me. I made an attempt to flip its meaning, but recognize that it was a bad decision to use the term in my music.”
Doja ended her statement by acknowledging that her actions can have a large impact on her fans, and she reassured them that she is taking the backlash seriously. After telling her fans that she loved them, Doja apologized if anything that had resurfaced upset them. She wrote that the allegations made over the weekend are in no way reflective of her character, and that henceforth she will make sure that her actions prove as much.
Doja Cat has seen a meteoric rise during 2020, as the singer hit another career milestone in May when her single “Say So” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single — alongside its remix featuring Nicki Minaj — is not just the singer’s first to top the charts, but also her first to crack the top 10. “Juicy” — her previous highest performing single — peaked at 41 in 2019.
