The guarded mystique of Top Dawg Entertainment experienced a serious security breach in October of this year. SZA, the respected label’s First Lady took her frustrations to Twitter regarding the year-long delay of her debut album, and laid it all out on the line.
“I actually quit . @iamstillpunch can release my album if he ever feels like it . Y’all be blessed,” she wrote, aiming it at the label’s President Punch. Since then, there haven’t been any further outbursts, but ditto goes for an actual release date announcement.
In her feature article for the December/January 2017 issue of Complex, the 26-year-old singer-songwriter downplays any severity in her rift with TDE but doesn’t appear to have a new outlook on recording all the same.
“I’ll probably just do something different, something visual, probably film,” she told Complex a week after the incident. “I’m really frustrated, and I’m kind of over it. I have a lot of anxiety and there’s a lot going on in my life.”
She revealed one of the catalysts to said anxiety as being constantly surrounded by death. She listed her grandmother, three ex-boyfriends and an unnamed friend among the deceased and it’s inevitably affected her music.
“Completing this [album] and these last couple of moments on the clock before this project is done are definitely the most pivotal moments of my life,” she explained. “Growing up as a woman, making tough decisions, and sticking by my own shit is necessary. But I definitely … um…” Long pause. “I’m definitely committed to completing this and I think…” Another long pause. “We’ll take it from there.”
As for the future of her career, especially with TDE, SZA doesn’t foresee any signs of doom and gloom.
“Me and Punch never get along — that’s every day,” she says, likening their relationship to that of any close-knit family. “They call me one of the homies. We’re all different, and that was hard to understand [at first] because they’re tough-love people and hard to read, but I dig it now. I don’t have any issues with my label. My label has been nothing but supportive of everything I’ve wanted to do.”
Although Punch declined to elaborate on their issues, he did offer up some insight on the upcoming A album.
“She used to hide behind reverb and vibe, but this [album] is more raw,” Punch tells Complex. “You can tell she’s speaking from experience and there are a lot of feelings there.”
I love how these TDE clowns talk about music like they know what the fuck there talking about? She used to hide behind a vibe? Ok thats like hiding behind a thought lol these dudes so gassed over there they probably think they changed the world lol TDE always been garbage to me. The most over overrated label that ever existed and please dont you EVER EVER EVER compare TDE to Death Row! No Pac No Dre No Snoop No D.O.C No Nate Dogg No RBX Death Row was full of talent these dudes just basic
Facts they all hide behind and bask in the fame of Kendrick and schoolboy q but the rest of them are pure garbage…
Punch thinks his own career gon’ be more important, so he messes the rest up. Like Ab-Soul’s album. The fans waiting and they (top dawg) just ignoring them. Ab-Soul needed the fans and the fan base grew but now hes losing fans because of the wait. Same with Black Hippy album. If they dropped it sooner it’d be nice. Now it’s not gonna have a big impact as it would’ve had. They’re not that relevant anymore, it’s exactly the same as with the Slaughterhouse album. They wait too long that it’s not interesting enough anymore and people just don’t care anymore. And I love black hippy. Jay Rock underrated Ab-Soul hella underrated
Punch not tryng to be a rapper he just releasing music. Slaughterhouse and Black Hippy albums have not come out for the same reason that wack artists are out here. Bcus most consumers don’t love good music, they love a good party while music is playing.
And she had been using a lot of reverb.
Not that relevant anymore? Homie, who in the fuck is more relevant than TDE as a whole? And if you say some stupid shit like Lil Uzi or Savage 21 or fucking Future, youre obviously speaking about album sales or radio hits not the culture.
@ Get Off the Radio
You’s a bitch, I hate uzi and 21 and future i hate people like you claiming some shit that aint even true.
I say bh aint that relevant anymore like that album wont be as ikportant as it wouldve had dumb motherfu**er
i hope he didnt change her , she used to hide behind reverb and vibe …um that shh was dope….goofball
She actually sucks at singing or whatever.. 3 ex boyfriends in a year? Damn she gets around I can see why she got a fat ass niggaz are all over that ass every day
@DI
punch not tryna be a rapper? Dude you even listening to tde albums. I predict hes the secret signee plus he said hes gonna make an album. Do your homework bitch
3 ex-Boyfriends KILLED THEMSELVES, this b*tch must be PSYCHO! TDE turned off a lot of artists, Kendrick basically does his OWN THING! So the label’s got a horrible reputation on ‘growing talent’……
tf theyre a new label for the most part and has a high ceiling as far as potential goes so idk what you’re talking about.
Love her music, sad to hear 🙁