SZA is the latest cover star for GQ, opening up about her recent online antics, making new music, and staying in her lane.
The singer does her best to stay out of controversy, keeping to herself when she’s not making music. Still, she’ll fight back when she’s dragged into something, which is exactly what happened when Nicki Minaj publicly accused SZA’s manager, TDE’s Terrence “Punch” Henderson, of bullying her earlier this year.
Minaj is known for her endless rants on X–especially in recent months–so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that SZA replied a few times before bowing out. In her recent interview with GQ, she talked about the situation, insisting there’s “no backstory” and that she doesn’t even know the “Barbie World” rapper.
“I don’t know her,” SZA began. “We have no connection to each other. There’s no backstory. Like, there was no through line narrative. It was just like, ‘Roc Nation’…. I don’t know where it came from. That’s not even my place to correct a narrative that I don’t got s*it to do with. It was a little strange. It was very like, ‘Why?’ But also, you know, ‘I guess.’ ”
The TDE artist also used this interview to set the record straight about another beef: Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake.
SZA has been good friends with Kendrick for years now, being on the same label and collaborating multiple times. Plus, she toured with the LA native directly following the back-and-forth, making many fans think she was picking sides.
While she hasn’t spoken on the feud since, SZA set the record straight to GQ, insisting she’s friends with both artists and calling the situation “unfortunate.”
“It was something between two grown-ass men, so why would I insert myself between something between two grown-ass men, you know?,” she explained. “And I feel like that’s how everybody felt — with the exception of people who didn’t feel that way. I didn’t really have any stake, per se. Obviously, I love Kendrick. I’m signed to TDE. That’s my family. Obviously, I’ve known Drake for so long and we have a beautiful rapport. And, obviously, it’s always unfortunate when the unfortunate occurs.”
SZA also spoke on performing her Drake collab “Rich Baby Daddy” when she co-headlined Kendrick’s Grand National Tour, which features Sexyy Red chanting “Shake that ass for Drake / Now shake that ass for me” during the chorus.
“Why wouldn’t I?” she fired back. “‘Poetic Justice’ was in the set list. So why wouldn’t I keep ‘Rich Baby Daddy’? I don’t know why I wouldn’t be celebrating some s*it that I ate up.”