Page 8 - Provoke.Mag.10

SZA
Winging It Since Day One
-Wess Nass
That love of hip-hop would stay with SZA, and Björk’s crystal clear vocals and trippy, experimental style be- came a huge foundation of her sound. Despite listening to so much jazz as a kid it made her sick for a while, SZA says she still “listens to Ella Fitzgerald, like, every day.” Jamiroquai, Billie Holiday, Groove Theory – the very
Kendrick Lamar. Nicki Minaj. Travis Scott. SZA shared artists SZA thought people wouldn’t relate to – all find a the stage and studio with them all, but her honeyed, hyp- place in her eclectic vibe. And she’s still wildly popular, notic vocals still make her stand out on any track. Despite proving that good music is timeless.
many hits coming from collabs with established hip-hop Of course, music wasn’t always the focus of SZA’s life. stars, the 28-year old has a sound that doesn’t fit neatly For most of high school, she was considered one of the into any genre. Instead, SZA’s influences range from Ice- top nationally ranked gymnasts. SZA stopped compet- landic pop to jazz to poetry, making her one of the most ing after graduating, although she’s been known to still pioneering artists today. randomly break out in a handstand. Thanks to their
and Björk by stealing a teammate’s iPad at gymnastics. biology and wanted to work at SeaWorld. After getting SZA
Born Solána Imani Rowe in Maplewood, New Jersey, strict father, the Rowes had limits on TV and attend- the stage name SZA is inspired by Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA ed a Muslim prep academy after school. With a lot of and the Islamic Supreme Alphabet: S stands for savior, time and very little to do, SZA read Shel Silverstein and Z for zig-zag and A for Allah. With fairly conservative Emily Dickinson, drawn in at first by Silverstein’s goofy parents (Muslim father, Christian mother), young SZA sketches in the books. Actually, Silverstein’s Falling Up actually wasn’t exposed to a lot of music. Limited to her was her first book of poetry, and those books have an father’s collection of jazz legends and Lauryn Hill, she got impact on her lyrical ability today. “I think people who an introduction to rap by sneaking a listen to her half-sis- write... tend to write similarly to the poetry they read as ter’s Wu-Tang Clan tracks. a kid,” SZA explains.
Emboldened, she went on to discover Common, Lil Jon Sometime in high school, she decided to study marine
8 Provokeusmag.com
S