Debate : Do You Consider Doja Cat A Rapper?

Remy Ma rejected the notion that Doja Cat is a rapper during a recent episode of Drink Champs.

I don’t think she’s a rapper. Let’s be clear with that. The Grammy committee put her in the rapper category, and I don’t think she’s a rapper. But she makes dope records, and I think she’s dope

Remy isn’t alone. Her comments reflect a popular perception among a certain sect of rap fans. Despite the fact that Doja raps on most of her songs, many hip-hop fans refuse to refer to her as a rapper, labeling her as a pop artist instead.

On the flipside, Doja Cat is a prime example of genre-bending women who’re primarily being labeled singers.

Two minutes of @DojaCat being a RAPPER. Since everybody wanna act dense about it. pic.twitter.com/7w7d1rEGdi

— Pharaoh 👑💕 (@BBpharaoh) March 27, 2022

Doja Cat started her career rapping in the LA underground scene, and she still raps on many of her songs (like “Rules” and “Juicy”), but she is widely considered “just” a pop star because she sings on some of her biggest Billboard hits. The Grammys committee nominated her in pop categories, but not rap categories, and hip-hop fans continue to fight the notion that she’s an MC. Yes, part of her catalog allows her to sit next to Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa, and SZA on a festival bill or in an award category. But she also fits next to Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion as an MC capable of dropping fun, technically strong verses over a variety of beats. Despite her talent, she, like other Black artists before her, is boxed in by fans and industry machinations.

Doja recently won a Grammy with SZA for Best Pop Duo, but she also topped the Billboard Hot 100 with the Nicki Minaj-assisted “Say So” remix, which was a first for a woman rap duo. Her pop songs shouldn’t negate her bars. After people questioned her Best Female Hip Hop Artist nomination at the 2021 BET Awards, she even tweeted at her detractors, telling them;