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SZA Has Enough Rap Records For An EP, Says TDE’s Punch
SZA’s sophomore effort was expected to be a success, but the reaction even took Terrence “Punch” Henderson slightly by surprise. It had been years since SZA released a new full-length album, but it was clear that the anticipation was getting to the hitmaker. For years, she repeatedly took to social media to voice her frustrations with her label. Punch took many of those hits, especially from fans who questioned him about SZA’s second project’s delay. He sat down with Rap Radar and spoke about the songbird’s release, as well as her evolution under the Top Dawg umbrella.
“I think she adjusting a lot better now,” Punch shared with the podcast in an intimate interview. “I think it’s finally starting to set in as to what’s going on and who she is. Like, for the longest, I don’t feel she connected who SZA is to Solána. But I think now, she’s starting to see it, to understand.” It’s something that even SZA acknowledged in a tweet where she claimed Punch told her she was losing herself.
SZA Crosses Genre Lines
A highlight of S.O.S. was the singer testing genre boundaries and stepping out of her R&B box. “She’s always bended the genre, so it wasn’t nothing new,” said Punch. “It was just going, pushing it further.” He then disclosed that it isn’t just alternative music that SZA is interested in. “Like she doing full Rap records now… She got like maybe—she got like an EP’s worth of full Rap records. Like all the way out, no singing.”
The revelation has stirred the singer’s fans, who are always in the mood for more SZA. In a profile interview with Billboard, Punch echoed his sentiments, praising his artist for her expansive reach. “SZA is a force. To go seven consecutive weeks at No. 1 is legendary,” he said of her accomplishment. “She’s a true generational artist, a cultural reset, if you will.”
“For her album S.O.S to blend so many different genres together in a cohesive frame shows her genius and versatility,” he further stated. “Then you have the voice, the words, the pain, the growth, the relapsing, the delivery, the stories, etc. … a true masterpiece.” Check out Punch’s interview with Rap Radar above.
Rich The Kid Was Once Signed To Top Dawg Entertainment
Rich The Kid’s autobiography will have stories for days. The “Plug Talk” rapper had a storied career, even before he had a major label deal or a break-out single. He went through the motions of the average up-and-coming artist and the hard work ultimately paid off. When he released The World Is Yours, he became champion by the rap community, including a few elite MCs.
Though Rich The Kid is far from being a top-tier lyricist, that was never his point. His infectious energy and quotable bars ultimately landed him a verse from Kendrick Lamar on his breakout hit, “No Freezer.” It was an unsuspected collaboration but one that took the world by storm. It became one of the biggest records of 2017 and felt inescapable upon its release. The song later reached platinum status and the two performed the record at the BRIT Awards in 2018 where they smashed a Lamborghini.
Rich The Kid Signed To TDE
Though we were previously aware that A$AP Ferg initially had a verse on “New Freezer,” Rich The Kid provided a far more in-depth response to how he landed a K. Dot verse. In an interview with Bootleg Kev, Rich The Kid said he penned a deal with Top Dawg Entertainment. “I did sign to Interscope through TDE,” he said, confirming the long-standing rumor that emerged prior to the release of “New Freezer.” At the time, he was recording his album while Kendrick worked on DAMN. and SZA recorded CTRL.
He explained that he wasn’t even aware that Kendrick or SZA were working in the same studio complex. However, he recalled the day Kendrick came in the room to hear what he was working on. “I played him ‘New Freezer’ and he was like, ‘Yeah, I need that.’ I was waiting for the verse for like a month ’cause he was on the road doing shows and shit,” he said. The collab earned him a spot within TDE’s tightknit circle but, due to his contractual agreements with 300 Ent. and Quality Control, he had to buy his way out of both deals. Check his interview with Bootleg Kev above.
SZA Explains Frustrations With TDE Early In Her Career
As S.O.S. continues to break records, SZA is the new cover girl for Billboard. The outlet named the singer their Woman of the Year, and she caught up with them to pose in a stunning photoshoot and speak on the album and the evolution of her career. In 2013, SZA’s life changed when she signed a deal with Top Dawg Entertainment. The Carson, California-based label was making waves with their Rap-heavy roster, but the songbird caught their attention. Soon, she was the First Lady of TDE.
“I didn’t mind the lack of female artists. I just felt like I was always the first to do something, and that was frustrating. It was me telling y’all I need hair and makeup because I’m super hands-on, on top of being a woman. I’m making PowerPoints trying to explain why I want to be in this type of publication versus that type of publication.”
SZA Remembers Early Days With TDE
The climb to the top wasn’t easy for SZA. “It was tough,” she recalled. “But by the same token, I think all of us grew together at the same time. They never had to do anything like this before, and we were all being so randomly innovative together by trying to figure out what makes sense. And I also liked that they weren’t trying to clean me up and look like anybody else.”
It was important for the singer to have certain levels of creative freedom. It seems that TDE let her express herself as is. “They were just taking me as I was,” she further shared. “That was really priceless, just to express myself visually how I wanted to and without the judgment of “Let’s make her pretty or sparkly and shiny and sterile.”
SZA Reveals S.O.S. Deluxe Will Arrive Soon
With S.O.S. taking over playlists and charts, a deluxe version is only fitting. SZA shared that the updated installment of her sophomore record is on the horizon, and it will host an impressive 10 extra tracks. “After I do the deluxe, I’m hoping to be able to accept that this chapter is done,” said SZA. “I’m looking forward to actually feeling proud of myself and not just smiling and nodding at accolades but really feeling it internally and knowing that I’m good enough.”
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SZA Looks Back on Wanting to Be With Odd Future Before Ultimately Signing With Top Dawg
SZA Wanted To Join Odd Future Before Signing To TDE
There was a time when Tyler, The Creator and his Odd Future crew dominated music and television. The eclectic group of artists helped usher in a new era of Hip Hop—if not breed a dedicated fanbase committed to copying their styles. SZA was one of those supporters, and in a new interview with The New York Times, the S.O.S. hitmaker revisited those early days in her career. She was the first woman to ink a deal with Top Dawg Entertainment in 2013, but before that, she was an independent artist hoping to join Odd Future.
“Quiet as it’s kept, I wanted to be with, like, Odd Future,” said SZA. “I felt more like a [Odd Future manager Christian Clancy] girl.” Her connection to Odd Future wasn’t absent—SZA would release tracks over Odd Future beats. After making the big leap to move to California, she quickly began establishing a relationship with TDE. It was then that she also linked with Mac Miller, who happened to be a client of Clancy’s, as well.
Read More: SZA Reflects On Having A “Great Time” At 2023 Grammys
In the end, the songbird decided to move forward with TDE because, as she says, “Punch believed in me.” SZA was referring to Top Dawg’s illustrious president who she has had some tense moments with. It has become a lucrative partnership, albeit riddled with controversies. Her debut Ctrl was widely praised, but it would take years before S.O.S. followed. The world watched as SZA called out her label for delaying S.O.S.‘s release, but once it arrived, its success was record-breaking.
Elsewhere in the NYT piece, SZA commented on the expectations laid upon Black artists. According to the singer, Black musicians are respected more in the industry if they juggle multiple skills while also coming from a pristine background. She doesn’t believe this adequately describes most of the artists with popular influence.
Read More: SZA Ties Whitney Houston’s Billboard Record
SZA says revered artists are those “who play 50 instruments, went to all the right schools, did all the right programs and talked to all the right people. I don’t like that. Black excellence is NBA YoungBoy putting out projects and speaking his heart and screaming into a microphone.”
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