SZA (real name Solána Rowe) the 26-year-old is a singer known for her chilly, raspy vocal style, which first caught the attention of Terrence “Punch” Henderson, co-president of record label Top Dawg Entertainment (also home to Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, and others) in 2011. Born in St. Louis, (her dad was a producer at CNN and her mom was an executive at AT&T) in Maplewood, New Jersey. She had a sheltered, Orthodox Muslim upbringing, forbidden to watch television or listen to the radio which contradicted any musical aspirations she may have had of being an R&B artist.
Her only interactions with contemporary music were through friends or her older half-sister, who listened to Wu-Tang Clan, Cash Money, and Lil Jon. SZA, her latest work is eclectic yet intriguing to my ears... SZA's greatest asset is her unorthodox unique vocal range...her style and her introspective views of life play out in every song she touches.
I believe it is intentional she isn't striving to be or sound like anyone else. Creativity equal infinity, so it's great when an artist follows the beat of their own drum.