The 19-Year-Old Solána: 5 Shocking Facts About SZA's Life In 2009 Before Fame

The year 2009 was a pivotal, yet largely unpublicized, period in the life of the woman who would become the Grammy-winning R&B superstar SZA. Far from the spotlight of her chart-topping albums like Ctrl and SOS, the artist known then as Solána Imani Rowe was navigating the tumultuous waters of her late teenage years and early twenties. This era, which took place over a decade before her global fame, is often overlooked, but it was a time of significant personal transition, marked by a major life decision—dropping out of college—and a surprising, recently confirmed romantic entanglement that sent shockwaves through the music industry years later. As of December 12, 2025, the context of her life in 2009 provides a fascinating look at the origin story of one of music's most introspective and influential voices.

For most of 2009, SZA was 19 years old, turning 20 in November of that year. This age places her squarely in the middle of a confusing, formative chapter, caught between academic pursuits and a burgeoning self-discovery that would eventually lead her to music. The details of this pre-fame existence—from her academic struggles to her unexpected dating history—paint a vivid picture of the alternative R&B icon as a young adult still finding her way.

Solána Imani Rowe: A Brief Biography and Profile

Before she became the voice of a generation with her candid, genre-bending music, SZA was Solána Imani Rowe. Her background, rooted in a conservative Muslim household, heavily influenced her early life and the rebellious spirit that would later fuel her art.

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• Full Name: Solána Imani Rowe
• Stage Name: SZA (derived from the Supreme Alphabet, standing for 'Sovereign ZigZag Allah' or 'Savior ZigZag Allah')
• Date of Birth: November 8, 1989
• Current Age (as of late 2025): 36 years old
• Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
• Raised In: Maplewood, New Jersey
• Genres: Alternative R&B, Neo Soul, R&B, Hip-Hop
• Major Labels: Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), RCA Records
• Breakthrough Album: Ctrl (2017)
• Career Status in 2009: Pre-fame; not yet pursuing music professionally.

SZA's Age in 2009: The 19-Year-Old Marine Biology Dropout

The question of "SZA's age in 2009" is simple to calculate but complex in its implications. Born on November 8, 1989, Solána Imani Rowe spent the vast majority of 2009 as a 19-year-old, celebrating her 20th birthday in the late fall. This age is significant because it marks a period of profound personal and academic upheaval, a stark contrast to the confident, acclaimed artist she is today.

The Tumultuous College Years

In 2009, SZA was likely grappling with the aftermath of her college experience. She famously attended three separate colleges, including Delaware State University, where she studied marine biology with the intention of pursuing a career in the field. This highly structured, scientific path was a world away from the creative chaos of the music industry.

However, her time in higher education was difficult. SZA has been open about her struggles, which included failing multiple courses, drinking, and smoking marijuana. By the time she was 19 or 20, she had made the life-altering decision to drop out, often cited as a turning point that "lit a fire" under her to find a new direction. Dropping out of college in her early twenties, after moving back home to New Jersey, forced her to take on various odd jobs to make ends meet.

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The Pre-Fame Hustle: Bartending and Lying About Her Age

After leaving school, the future R&B star had to hustle. Around this time, in her late teens and early twenties, she reportedly worked a variety of jobs to support herself. One notable detail, which speaks to the challenges of her pre-fame life, is that she allegedly lied about her age to secure a bartending job. This period of working non-musical jobs—a far cry from recording in a studio—highlights the immense distance between the Solána of 2009 and the global icon she would become just a few years later. The creative spark was not yet fully ignited; she was simply trying to survive and figure out her next move.

The Shocking 2009 Drake Fling: A Recently Confirmed Detail

The most surprising and recently confirmed detail about SZA's life in 2009 is her brief, "childish" romantic connection with rapper Drake. This information remained a rumor until 2020 when Drake mentioned dating SZA in 2008 in his song "Mr. Right Now." SZA quickly took to social media to correct the timeline, confirming the fling happened in 2009, not 2008.

A 'Childish' and Casual Connection

SZA's confirmation provided crucial context, describing the relationship as casual and young. In a 2023 interview, she reflected on the fling, stating, "It wasn't hot and heavy or anything—it was so childish." The connection occurred when SZA was 19 and Drake was around 22 or 23, both before either of them had reached their respective peaks of global superstardom. At the time, Drake was still in the early stages of his career, having released his third mixtape, So Far Gone, that year, while SZA was a complete unknown.

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The revelation is a key piece of topical authority for the year 2009, linking the then-unknown Solána to a future titan of the music industry. It also provides a fascinating glimpse into the kind of private, formative experiences that would later inspire the raw, confessional lyrics found in her breakthrough albums like Ctrl.

The Path from Solána to SZA: 2009 to Top Dawg Entertainment

The Solána Imani Rowe of 2009 was not yet SZA the R&B singer-songwriter. She was a young woman who had no intention of pursuing a music career, despite her love for music. Her path to fame was highly unconventional and accidental, starting a couple of years after 2009.

The Accidental Start of a Music Career

It wasn't until around 2011 that her music career began to take shape. This happened when she was working for the clothing label 10Deep and was assigned to hand out merchandise at a Kendrick Lamar concert. A friend at 10Deep was playing some of her unmixed, unpolished recordings for Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) co-president Terrence "Punch" Henderson, who was immediately impressed. This chance encounter was the domino that led to her first official projects.

The raw, unpolished sound of her earliest EPs, See.SZA.Run (2012) and S (2013), and her debut project Z (2014), quickly garnered recognition, establishing her unique blend of alternative R&B and neo soul. Her eventual signing to TDE in 2013 solidified her place in one of hip-hop and R&B's most respected camps.

In retrospect, 2009 was the "before" picture for SZA. It was a year defined by the messy, often directionless journey of a 19-year-old who had just rejected her academic path and was unknowingly on the cusp of a life-changing career. The future Grammy winner was still just Solána, bartending, studying marine biology, and having "childish" flings, completely unaware that her most private experiences would one day become the inspiration for global hits.