Doja's team is framing this as a much-needed creative reset. The rapper has been touring relentlessly and recently shared her borderline personality disorder diagnosis with fans — prioritizing mental health and exploring other artistic passions like painting isn't burnout, it's self-care.
Industry insiders are whispering that Doja's been fighting with label pressure for months. She's had five studio albums in rapid succession, and sources say the machine doesn't stop. Whether she actually follows through on a three-year hiatus remains to be seen — contracts and obligations have derailed many 'sabbaticals' before.
Doja told Elle UK: "I think I want to take three years off. I want to just do whatever." Her last album Vie (2025) peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, and she's currently touring through December with her Tour Ma Vie World Tour.
Doja Cat just dropped one of the most shocking career confessions of the year — whether she actually follows through or this is industry posturing remains to be seen. Either way, three years in pop culture time might as well be an eternity.
Doja Cat is ready to walk away from music — and she's not being subtle about it. In a bombshell Elle UK cover story published Wednesday (May 13), the rapper revealed she's seriously considering a three-year hiatus from making music. "I think I want to take three years off," Doja told the publication.
"I want to just do whatever." The admission comes after five studio albums and countless Billboard Hot 100 hits that have kept her in the industry spotlight for years. When discussing her packed schedule with Elle, she explained she's been demanding more breaks from her team to focus on other passions — specifically mentioning painting as something she wants to prioritize. The timing of this announcement is notable given Doja's current professional obligations.
She's deep into her Tour Ma Vie World Tour, which kicked off in November and is currently scheduled to run through early December 2026. After roughly a monthlong break, she's set to return to the stage in Kigali, Rwanda. Her most recent album, Vie, dropped in 2025 and reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 — proving her commercial appeal remains intact even as she allegedly contemplates stepping back.
The interview didn't just cover her career trajectory; Doja also opened up about personal struggles that have shaped her recent years. She confirmed to fans earlier this year (March 2026) that she'd been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, and in the Elle piece, she detailed how that diagnosis complicates her romantic life. "If I have a boyfriend, and he leaves just to run errands, my brain thinks he's breaking up with me," she explained.
"And this is because my dad left me when I was little… I have to scrape against it and teach myself that that's not happening to me. I'm safe." The raw admission adds context to why the rapper might be seeking distance from the relentless pace of the music industry. Doja also touched on her signature comedic sensibility in hip-hop during the interview, crediting Jay-Z for teaching her about irony in the genre.
"Nicki Minaj, Drake, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne — these people are not comedians, but they are," she said. "They could write a stand-up set if they wanted to, but music is much more fun… I learned that from Jay-Z. I watched an interview where he said irony is incredibly important when it comes to hip-hop and rap." Whether her fans will get to see her apply those lessons for years to come remains the central question after this revelation.
