Maplewood, New Jersey songstress SZA became the sixth member of TDE almost a year ago and since then she’s dropped an album and has been touring, often alongside her Top Dawg brothers.

Recently sitting down with Complex TV, SZA talked about her early beginnings, which consisted of little money but hard work.

“When I first started I was like bar tending and trying to pay for studio time but it really wasn’t a studio, it was my homeboy’s closet,” she said. “It’s weird ’cause I wonder if people would relate.”

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SZA also talked about her lyrics on Z. On the song “Omega,” she says she hopes she can be relatable to anyone who has to grow up in families with split religions.

“I would hope that my music isn’t cryptic ’cause it doesn’t seem cryptic to me but most of it has to do with just re-thinking my childhood,” SZA said. “‘Omega’ grapples with my mom being Christian and my dad being Muslim so it’s like, ‘Let the church say Amen / release all my sins at the pulpit / it’s my beginning…’ But then I say, ‘Ya’ll lie, I don’t lie.’

SZA notes during the interview that Lauryn Hill is one of her biggest influences and says she shouldn’t change her music for the fans. She also said that’s she’s working on her fourth project, A, having already released the other acronyms of her name (S and Z). She is also planning on directing short films in coordination with Z.

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