Booking SZA

SZA Biography

The American R&B singer known as SZA was born Solana Imani Rowe in Missouri in 1990. Rowe grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey, after her family relocated there when she was still in elementary school. Both Solana’s parents were successful professionals—her mother was an executive at AT&T and her father worked for CNN as a producer. Rowe’s upbringing included a strict Muslim education; after the September 11 attacks she often found herself ridiculed and bullied for wearing her hijab.

Rowe’s first aspirations were in athletics; an accomplished gymnast, she was ranked as among the best high school competitors in the sport when she was a teenager. But after dropping out of college, Solana adopted the moniker SZA and sought a career as a rap star. Inspired by a number of artists, including filmmakers such as Spike Lee, SZA crafted a somewhat “alternative” R&B sound, with lyrics that touch upon a variety of complex subjects, including sexuality and struggles of African American communities.

SZA released two EPs in 2012 and 2013—See.SZA.Run and one simply titled “S.” Although neither charted, both garnered SZA significant critical acclaim and praise. But it was SZA’s third EP, simply titled “Z,” that became her big breakthrough upon its release in 2014, rising into the top five on the R&B charts in the United States and into the top forty on the mainsream charts. The EP featured the singles “Babylon” (featuring Kendrick Lamar) and “Child’s Play” (featuring Chance the Rapper.)

Since signing with Top Dawg Entertainment, SZA has released her debut album, Ctrl, which rose to the number one spot on the R&B charts and the number three spot on the mainstream charts. Ctrl also earned SZA multiple Grammy Award nominations, including Best Urban Contemporary Album, Best New Artist. The songs “The Weekend,” “Supermodel,” and “Love Galore” have also earned SZA nominations.