SZA was born Solána Rowe in St. Louis and raised in Maplewood, New Jersey. She grew up listening to classic and avant-garde jazz, alternative rock, and rap.
Rowe was raised as an orthodox Muslim. She found inspiration for her stage name from the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and the Supreme Alphabet. The S stands for either savior or sovereign, the Z for zig-zag, and the A for Allah.
SZA studied marine biology at Delaware State University. She earned straight A's for two semesters before losing interest and dropping out. "I'm like, 'I told you I was smart and I proved my point. I have to leave now.'" SZA told Elle. SZA started taking random jobs to make money. During one brief stint at clothing company Diesel, her employment was abruptly terminated after she wolfed down two marijuana-laced brownies, and had a bad reaction. In hindsight, SZA regrets the stress she put her parents through during that time. "I really disrespected my parents for a long time... Me telling my mom I would rather go run in the streets and bar tend at the strip club so I can pay for studio time (than go to school). It's crazy," she shared.
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