Doja Cat’s Manager Reveals She Was Almost Dropped From Her Record Label Following Her Debut Studio Album ‘Amala’

Doja Cat

Doja Cat’s Manager Reveals She Was Almost Dropped From Her Record Label Following Her Debut Studio Album ‘Amala’

In an alternative universe, Doja Cat’s music career would have faced a major hurdle.

During a recent interview with podcaster Mauricio Ruiz, Doja Cat’s manager Gordan Dillard shared that the Grammy Award-winning rapper was almost let go by her record label RCA. Doja Cat, 28, released her debut studio album Amala in 2018. Even though the project has since become a favorite for many music lovers, Amala didn’t initially receive much attention from the public or critics. The lack of recognition from the masses nearly cost Doja her record deal, according to Gordan Dillard, who said,

“There were conversations of her being dropped.”

“Tia Tamera,” which has grown to be one of Doja’s more popular songs, is featured on the deluxe version of her first album. During his interview, Gordan Dillard touched on how the track and music video proved how Doja is “beyond creative.” Unfortunately, it still took a little convincing to help RCA see the vision. Noting how a preview of what Doja had in store for her second album Hot Pink saved her deal, Gordan Dillard continued,

“I remember we all went to New York and we sat down and played them [RCA] the ‘Hot Pink’ album and she just had records. The girl knows how to make hits. And then we went… They knew she had big records but they also knew that she had the people behind her… people that understand music and have the relationships to be able to make this thing move outside of what they’re able to do… So then that’s when they started putting money into it.”

Hot Pink was released in 2019 and if you heard the album we’re sure you understand why RCA had a change of heart. The project features several hit records for Doja, including “Say So.” The remix of the tune featuring Nicki Minaj earned Doja her first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100.

Following the release of Hot Pink, Doja went on to release two more albums to date, Planet Her (2021) and
Scarlet (2023).

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