SZA Biography
SZA is an American singer of R&B, hip-hop and soul, born in November 8 1989.She became famous in 2017.She was born in St.Louis, Missouri,U.S.
Education and upbringing
She was raised in the Muslim tradition. SZA was brought up in Maplewood, New Jersey.Her parents, Abdul-Alim Mubarak-Rowe, an executive producer in CNN, and Audrey Rowe, an executive at AT&T.Due to the Muslim culture she had to wear baggy clothes and a hijab to school to uphold the tradition.After the September 11,2001 attacks, she experienced bullying this being due to her being among the few black people in a white community.She tried fitting in by often removing her hijab. She devoted to remain Muslim even though she underwent problems with her religion.
Her parents supported her in music after realising she can sing at a young age.Her mother encouraged her to sing in middle-school talent show and her father introduced her to jazz artists like Miles Davis. At the age of thirteen her focus was on gymnastics and she was the captain of her gymnastics team Also she participated in cheerleading.Her team was ranked nationally as a sophomore at Maplewood’s Columbia High School.
She studied marine biology at Delaware State University, in 2008 after graduating in high school this is after attending 3 different colleges. She dropped out of college in her final semester, this is due to smoking marijuana and intake of alcohol which made her fail multiple courses. She began experiencing tension with her parents at the time when she was struggling with her mental health. She worked as a bartender at that time of her struggle with her mental health. She developed a fashion sense during her summer at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She has worked for 10.Deep, a clothing brand and interned for Billionaire Boys Club.
Musical fame
SZA rose in her music career due to the important connections she made in 2011. At Top Dawg Entertainment she delivered clothes, an independent record label. The TDE copresident was amazed with her singing. She is the first female artist to be signed at TDE.
She explained in 2018 interview, she explained that the name SZA, S means Self Savior; the Z means Zig-Zag-Zig which acknowledges one’s self; A means the most high of all.
Her second EP she released it in 2014. She cowrote the song Feeling Myself which was performed by Nicki Minaj and featured by Beyonce in 2014.In the album ANTI by Rihanna in 2016 she was featured in it.
Her Ctrl album which she released in 2017 based on themes like insecurity.She has received several Grammy Award nominations due to the album and it reached number one on Top R&B Billboard chart and on the two hundred chart Billboard as number 3. On the soundtrack Black Panther movie in 2018 she collaborated with Kendrick Lamar on the song “All the Stars.”At the superbowl halftime in 2025 she reunited with Kendrick Lamar.
Her most successful collaborations was with Doja Cat in “Kiss Me More”, in 2021 which was number 3 on hundred chart Billboard. The collaboration with Doja Cat earned her her first Grammy Award for best duo group.She has released collaborations with other artists including Cardi B, Post Malone and Timberlake. SOS, her 2nd album which was highly awaited, included her song, Kill Bill.SOS was named as the R&B album that was best progressive.Receiving again best duo performance due to her collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers on the song “Ghost in the Machine.”Her single Snooze won best R&B song.Scoring 9 Grammy nominations in 2024 than any artist that year.
