Doja Cat Pays Respect to Her Idol Nicki Minaj in Her Song "Get Into It (Yuh)"

Doja Cat made sure fans heard her admiration loud and clear in her hit “Get Into It (Yuh)” when she rapped, “Thank you Nicki, I love you.”

It wasn’t just a catchy line — it was a direct, heartfelt nod to Nicki Minaj’s impact on her style and career. The lyrics have made many wonder: Why does Doja Cat thank Nicki so openly in that song? The answer goes back to her earliest inspirations.

Growing up, Doja didn’t just listen casually to Nicki. She was a superfan. She’s described making homemade music videos to Nicki’s songs in her room. She absorbed the animated rap’s delivery and sometimes playful, sometimes surreal style that would later show up in her own work.

In an interview with XXL, Doja said Nicki’s music and visual approach especially shaped her. Realizing the type of easily influenced personality she has, Doja admitted she tries to limit what other female rappers she listens to so she can avoid directly copying anyone.

The shout-out in “Get Into It (Yuh)” is more than just fan service — it’s an artist paying public respect to one of her biggest influences. Doja credits Nicki with giving her the blueprint for cartoonish, high-energy rap that mixes hard-hitting delivery with a playful, even weird, aesthetic.

She’s spoken about Nicki’s “alien” confidence and the way she carried herself as a businesswoman, being genuinely inspiring to her.

"Her as a businesswoman really inspired me," Doja told Elle. "The way Nicki can carry herself felt almost alien to me, because I was kind of a little runty kid, trapped in her room, just watching YouTube videos."

For Doja, thanking Nicki in her lyrics was a way of acknowledging that direct influence, making it clear she knew exactly who paved the way for her style.

The lines “thank you Nicki, I love you” and “got that big rocket launcher” aren't random. It directly nods to Nicki’s 2010 single “Massive Attack,” which features the phrase “rocket launcher” in its hook and visuals. Even as Doja evolves her own sound, she laces her work with both subtle and not-so-subtle tributes to the artist who made her believe in the power of outlandish rap performance.

The tribute wasn’t just lyrical. Behind the scenes, Doja actually tried to get Nicki to feature on the track. Nicki explained in an interview that Doja’s team sent her “Get Into It (Yuh),” but she didn’t feel she could add anything meaningful to it.

“It’s not that I’m too busy at all,” Nicki told HipHopDX. “There were middle people involved … I didn’t love that song because I didn’t think I could bring anything to it. So, I asked them to send me something else.”

Unfortunately, Nicki went on to explain that she never received anything else.

Nicki’s refusal wasn’t personal. She clarified she tries to only take on features when she feels she can truly make them special. She even mentioned working differently with other artists where they could deal directly, avoiding industry middlemen. While Doja didn’t get the verse she hoped for, Nicki’s only declined out of professional respect for Doja: she didn’t want to show up halfheartedly on a track that was already strong.

Even though Nicki didn’t appear on “Get Into It (Yuh),” the two had already worked together on the “Say So (Remix),” which became a chart-topping hit. That earlier collab highlighted their creative chemistry and mutual admiration.

Doja’s public thank-you in “Get Into It (Yuh)” is best understood as an artist giving flowers to another artist. She wasn’t just name-dropping for attention — it was an authentic salute to someone who helped shape her artistry.

For fans, the line remains one of the most direct examples of Doja’s willingness to acknowledge her heroes, celebrate her influences, and make sure the world knows exactly who inspired her.