This weekend wasn’t the first time Doja Cat came under fire for saying offensive things online, and it probably won’t be the last. Beginning Friday, fans took to Twitter under the hashtag #DojaCatIsOverParty after allegations surfaced that the singer, whose given name is Amalaratna Zandile Dlamini, had taken part in racist video chats and wrote a song in 2015 called “Dindu Nuffin,” a racist slur mocking victims of police brutality. Late Sunday, Doja Cat issued an apology for the song, but denied taking part in racism online.
“I want to address what’s been happening on Twitter,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “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.”
Continued the singer, “I’m a black woman. Half of my family is black from South Africa and I’m very proud of where I come from.” Her father is South African actor Dumisani Dlamini, best known to American audiences for his turn in 1992’s Sarafina! across from Whoopi Goldberg.
According to Doja Cat, she did write and record “Dindu Nuffin,” but says it was a misguided attempted to reclaim the term as a person of color. “As for the old song that’s resurfaced, it was in no way tied to anything outside of my own personal experience. 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.”
Writes the singer, “I understand my influence and impact and I’m taking this all very seriously. 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 everyone moving forward. Thank you.” Doja’s statement comes on the heels of a meteoric rise that included the artist’s first Billboard No 1. for the “Say So” remix with Nicki Minaj just two weeks ago.