SZA on her relationship with Drake: ‘It was so childish’

The singer opens up about dating Drake during the late 2000s when she was 18.

What’s it like to date the infamous Certifed Lover Boy? Just ask SZA. 

In a new cover story for Rolling Stone, the “Snooze” singer opens up about what it was like to date Drake. “We were really young,” she said of the relationship that occurred back in the late 2000s when she was 18 and he was 22. 

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SZA attends The 2022 Met Gala Celebrating “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2022, in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)

“It wasn’t hot and heavy or anything,” she continued. “It was like youth vibes. It was so childish.”

The timing of the story’s release is exactly three years after Drake first revealed the two had dated on the 21 Savage song “Mr. Right Now.” Much to the shock of many on social media, Drake infamously rapped in the song, “Yeah, said she wanna f— to some SZA, wait / ’Cause I used to date SZA back in ’08.”

SZA confirmed and clarified Drake’s claims at the time on X, formerly Twitter, writing, “So It was actually 2009 lol..in this case a year of poetic rap license mattered.” 

The Top Dawg Entertainment talent turned 18 in November 2008. For why Drake may have gotten the year wrong, SZA said she was chalking it up to needing to rhyme the year with “wait.” 

“Anybody who really knows me and was around during this time can confirm.. it’s all love, all peace,” she said, adding, “I just didn’t want anybody thinking anything underage or creepy was happening. Completely innocent. Lifetimes ago.”

In the Rolling Stone profile, she discusses common public perceptions that she’s more on the shy and timid side or that she dwells on her insecurities – both points she disagrees with. 

“That’s a good misconception,” she told the publication. “People be like, ‘Insecurity is her brand.’ It’s like, ‘No, [b—], I’m honest with how I feel about myself, but if I catch you saying that, it’s going to be different. I’ll still beat your a– over disrespecting me.’”

Throughout the years, rumors have swirled surrounding SZA’s dating life, including that she’s dated fellow singer Kehlani and Bill Nye, which may be the Bill she’s referring to in her hit song, “Kill Bill.” The latter was mostly just a joke after a picture of the two surfaced on social media, while the former was neither confirmed nor denied by either party. 

Meanwhile, Drake, who has developed a knack for candidly referencing his past love affairs in his music, has said recently that he’s trying to break that habit. He’s aware that sometimes when he brings up a past relationship, it can negatively impact the other party’s current life.

“I’ve tried my best to stop doing that. But I like to be honest in music too so that one’s a push and pull,” he told Lil Yachty during the premiere episode of FUTUREMOODS’s “Moody Conversations.” 

In regards to both Drake and SZA, since their romantic relationship came to pass, the two have remained friends and have even become collaborators. The pair released their first collaboration, “Slime You Out,” in September, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Drake’s upcoming album, “For All the Dogs,” drops Friday, Oct. 6. 


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