Though she's a bona fide hitmaker now, SZA didn't always see herself pursuing a music career. She explored fashion, and at one point, she even thought she would end up owning a marketing firm. "Music was my hobby, but then became more of a serious hobby because I didn't suck at it, and I was intrigued that I didn't suck at it," the "Snooze" singer shared in an interview with Nylon in 2017.
It was a stroke of luck when Terrence Henderson, the president of Top Dawg Entertainment, discovered SZA in 2011 back when she was still an intern at 10. Deep. The fortuitous moment arrived when SZA and a friend crossed paths with Henderson during a work errand. During said errand, SZA's friend happened to be listening to her talented pal through headphones, and Henderson was immediately intrigued. "What jumped out instantly was her voice — it was so distinctive — and then the words. She approached singing as a rapper. Instantly, I'm like, 'I know what to do with this,'" he told Variety.
They kept in touch afterward, and SZA sent new music his way. Two years later, she was signed to the label, becoming TDE's first singer and first female artist. "I just brought TDE clothes the day after their show. I never intended to become one of those artists," SZA said in her aforementioned interview with Clash.
