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Doja Cat‘s “Kiss Me More” collaboration with SZA is a certified summer smash, but in a new interview with Missy Elliott, the 25-year-old opened up about balancing her authentic self and her exploding popularity.
Speaking to the “Lose Control” rapper for Interview magazine, Doja reflected on her start in music and how her rising star status presented new challenges. Noting she used to spend her time on social media “making beats” and “yelling at and roasting people,” the artist admits that’s no longer a healthy way to spend her time.
“I love going in on people, but I stopped because with a big platform, you don’t want to hurt anybody,” Doja told Elliott. “You have power and you’re looked at a certain way, and if you go in on people and s***, it doesn’t help you or them, and they can tear you down more than you can tear them down.”
Missy noted that being an artist has changed in the era of social media, saying, “When I was coming up we didn’t have social media, so we could turn off the artistry when we finished our interviews and went home. Now you have to be in artist mode at all times.”
Concerning her craft, Doja said she wants to improve her rapping. “When it comes to rap I could be better. I think everybody feels that way with their own art, in all kinds of ways,” she mused. “I see all these incredibly talented rappers around me, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m doing pop, but I should focus on my pen now more than ever.'”
Doja also revealed she wants to “talk about my life more” in her music, which Missy supported.
“That’s growth,” Missy praised.
Planet Her, Doja’s third album, is out now.
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