Doja Kat’s next album, “Vie”, is expected to drop this year, and the rapper is not holding back in response to fan criticism over her lyrical ability. “I asked 4 different Kittens under this thread for their best Doja Kat bar and it’s CRICKETS,” a social media follower posted, followed by three laughing until tears emojis. That was just one example of the claims of her less-than-stellar skills as a lyricist.
Doja, who has 19 Grammy nominations, responded with, “You don’t listen to or read enough of my writing to be able to make this claim. I’m alright at what I do, and sometimes I’m incredible. Please stop trying to downplay my ability. It feels like you’re doling out criticism with no constructiveness based on something deeper than just the topic of music.”
Continuing her defence, the “Boss B*tch” singer told social media that to even deconstruct her lyricism or simplify it would be an insult. “I shouldn’t have to sit here on Twitter and give you a simplified, snipped, deconstructed, and without insulting you, DUMBED down version of my writing for you to be able to hear what hundreds of thousands and let’s be honest, millions of people are recognising as adequate rap bars,” Doja posted. “You aren’t stupid. Listen to my music.”
Doja mentioned Flying Lotus’s Captain Murphy alias and Atmosphere as the rappers who shaped her lyrical style and ability. Women rappers are often pitted against each other. Doja took a stance on that aspect of the music game by rejecting the arguments that centred on comparison and competition, declaring that “expressing yourself” should be the goal of MCing.
“There are rappers who have strengths and weaknesses. I am one of them,” Doja posted. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t know what I’m doing. I didn’t grow up on the same flavour of rap that you might align with. I came up listening to backpack rappers, and the style they adopt is different.”
