SZA is from St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States. Her full name is Solána Imani Rowe, and her ethnicity is African-American. She was born on November 8, 1989, and so is currently 34 years old. Her parents are Abdul Mubarak-Rowe and Audrey Rowe. While her father is a conservative Muslim, her mother is a practicing Christian.
SZA rose to fame as a multitalented singer and songwriter whose genre cuts across R&B, pop, and a little hip-hop. Since her rise to fame, so many questions have been asked about her true identity, bordering on things such as her family, real name, nationality, and ethnicity.
Where Is SZA From?
SZA is from St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It was here that she was born on 8 November 1989 to her parents, Abdul Mubarak-Rowe and Audrey Rowe. However, it was in Maplewood, New Jersey, that she spent her early life and was brought up.
She was raised in a home where she was not allowed to listen to music due to the religious beliefs of her father. Nonetheless, he allowed them to celebrate Christmas and set up a Christmas Tree, but it must be without light and brought down soon after the holidays.
She got her earliest education from a Muslim prep school. Next, she went to Columbia High School, and then she went to four different colleges before she finally dropped out from Delaware State University.
What is SZA’s Full Name?
SZA’s full name is Solána Imani Rowe. The name was given to her when she was born. Her first name, Solána, is a Spanish name that simply means Sunshine or the brightness of the sun.
The singer’s middle name, Imani, is an Islamic name, following the faith of her father and her own faith as a Muslim. The name has Arabic origin, and it is very popular among Muslims. The meaning of the name is “belief” or “faith.”
What Does SZA Mean?
There are those who have always believed that the name of the singer is nothing but an acronym of her name or something of the sort, but there is no truth to this. Initially, her nickname was Sosa, but because it is also the nickname of American rapper and singer Chief Keef, she decided not to use it.
It was after this that she came by the name of SZA, which she adopted because of the Supreme Alphabet meaning it holds for her. While S stands for ‘savior’ or ‘sovereign,’ Z stands for zig-zag, and A is for the supreme being, Allah.
SZA’s Ethnicity
For her ethnicity, the singer and songwriter is African-American. She was born to a father who is black and a mother who is also of the same race. Her exact roots have not been made known.
SZA was raised to be very proud of her ethnic background. Her mother has been involved in activities that promote racial tolerance and which seek to assist African Americans. The singer has come to learn this from her, and she has always tried to promote issues relating to black communities.
SZA’s Nationality
The nationality of SZA is American. Apart from the fact that she is American by birth, her parents are also originally Americans. There is no information linking them to any other nationality.
More so, she has spent all her life in the States, where she was brought up. While there are several celebrities that hold dual citizenship often because of their achievements, the only nationality she holds is American.
Who are SZA’s Parents?
SZA’s parents are Abdul Mubarak-Rowe and Audrey Rowe. While it is not clear how they met, it is believed that they got married sometime in the 1980s. Many years later, the two are still very much together, even though they have different religious faiths.
Although SZA is their only child together, the singer has two other half-siblings who seem to be birthed to her father, although the certainty of this is not made known. Her older sister is Panya Jamila Rowe, who has stayed away from the public and leads a very quiet life, while SZA’s half-brother is Daniel “Manhattan” Rowe. He is also in the music industry as a rapper. SZA used to sing with her less famous brother before she later made it big in the American music industry.
Needless to say, SZA’s parents have a great relationship with all their kids, and the siblings have also come to share a similar close relationship.
SZA’s Father is a Conservative Muslim
The father of the American singer and songwriter Abdul Mubarak-Rowe is a devout Muslim, and he raised his kids in the faith, although SZA was allowed to understand both the Islamic and Christian faiths. Abdul’s date of birth is not known, just as his age.
For his educational pursuits, SZA’s father went to the University of West Florida, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism. After he was done, he got his start professionally with CNN in 1989, the same year his daughter was born; he was there until 2016.
He also worked with Creative Concepts Childcare Center for a brief period in 2011. A Market Consumer Specialist, he now works with the Council of American-Islamic Relations, New Jersey, as the communication Director.
Her Mother is a Christian
SZA’s mother, Audrey Rowe, got married to a Muslim man but still remained a Christian. Like her husband, her date of birth and age remain unknown. However, she is a well-read individual who went to Soldan High School. From there, she went to the University of Missouri-Columbia and then Kent State University Graduate School for her master’s.
SZA’s mom stayed her career with AT&T in 1980 and was there when she had her daughter. Audrey left the communications company in 1997 as District Manager – Business Communications Services Division. After this, she joined South Orange Maplewood Community Coalition on race in 2004, and then she left after 14 years as a Program Director.
Initially, SZA had a fallout with her mother because she dropped out of college and decided to become a bartender and dance in strip clubs while trying to figure out what to do next. When Audrey found out what her daughter was doing, she sent her packing out of the house. The singer revealed she was forced to sleep on couches of people, and she soon fell into depression.
However, she later found a way around music and settled the issues she had with her mom. According to Audrey, she wished she had supported her daughter in pursuing her passion, but she was glad that SZA did not relent in pursuing her dreams.
