The artist speaks openly about how she sees her work and defends her place in the rap scene
Η Doja Cat is known for leaving nothing unanswered, especially when it comes to her art and identity as an artist. She proves it once again, responding to an online discussion that questioned her title as a rapper. The incident began when a user on X (formerly Twitter) commented that, after the release of her upcoming album, her fans should stop including her in "discussions about female rap."
Doja Cat, who is preparing to release her fifth album titled Fri, has already stated that it is a "pop-driven project". However, as she revealed in a recent interview with V Magazine, the album contains a lot of rap content. Despite these statements, the user argued that to be considered a serious rapper, one must prioritize elements such as bars, punchlines, wordplay, and storytelling.
Doja Cat's response was immediate and clear: "You don't hear or read enough of my work to make a statement like that. Sometimes I'm just good at what I do and other times I'm great. Stop underestimating my ability. I feel like you're giving criticism without any basis in fact, and that goes deeper than the subject of the music itself."
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In the conversation, the user persisted in asking for examples of punchlines and wordplay that would prove her worth as an MC. However, Doja explained that she did not want to provide such examples at that time, as she believed that her interlocutor would immediately reject them. "I want listeners to choose for themselves what they like and what they don't. If you're going to criticize my entire rap body of work, you have to give me a chance. You have to listen and read. If you don't, how will you know?", write down.
The Grammy-winning artist continued: "I'm not going to sit here and give you a simplified, cut-up, and "dumb" version of my writing just so you can understand it. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people recognize that I write adequate rap bars. You're not stupid. Listen to my music."
The debate quickly went viral, with many taking sides for or against Doja Cat's comments. The same user on X mentioned that he has listened to her entire discography and expressed his excitement for two new tracks from Vie: Jealous Type and Take Me DancingThe second one was actually presented by Doja at an after party at Oasis, a drag nightclub in San Francisco, after her headlining show at Outside Lands.
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The user ended up mentioning names of rap legends, such as Rakim, Jay Z and Jeezy, as points of reference for how she perceives the art of rap. Doja Cat not only did not react negatively, but showed respect: "Jay-Z is a great writer and so are Rakim and Jeezy. You have great taste. Thanks for sharing."
In closing, she acknowledged that if someone has listened to all of her songs and hasn't found a verse that touches them, that's perfectly legitimate. "If you haven't found anything to touch you, that's your right. Thank you.", she wrote, proving that she knows how to defend her work, but also respect the opinion of her audience.
This incident is another reminder that Doja Cat is not just a pop or rap artist – she is a creator who wants to be heard, read and understood before jumping to conclusions. And that, perhaps, is the most meaningful message she sent through this online controversy.
