Joe Budden, SZA, and more shared some beautiful messages about their late friend, Jas Waters, also known as Jas Fly, who passed away earlier this week at 39 years old. The news broke on Wednesday (June 10th) that Jas, a prominent hip hop journalist and TV writer for shows like This Is Us and Kidding, had died. Although her cause of death is still unknown, the news was devastating for those who knew and loved Jas. Many took to social media to pay their respects.

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Late Wednesday night, Joe took to Instagram to remember Jas. "Many of us are in a lot of pain tonight," he wrote on a photo of Jas, "and the person who would know the perfect thing to say to brighten our spirits has gone home..... i love you, trust you and will miss you.. Rest peacefully Queen Jas."

SZA also paid tribute to Jas on social media by retweeting one of her old tweets with a kind message. "You had a purpose before anyone had an opinion," Jas had written back in 2015. "Remember that. And when asked 'who do you think you are?' answer 'whom I was created to be.'" SZA quoted this wisdom with, "Thank you for your time here and honest perfectly put words. Rest in Love queen."

Alternative clothing brand Dolls Kill was under fire by the public over their response to the Black Lives Matter protests in Los Angeles. The punk and goth apparel company's owner, Shoddy Lynn, shared an image to social media showing over two dozen armed police officers barricading a street that just happened to be in front of her brick and mortar store. "Direct Action in its glory," she wrote in the caption. Soon, Dolls Kill was called out for their lack of acknowledgment of the BLM movement overall, including a critical response from Top Dawg Entertainment singer SZA.

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The brand later issued an apology on Instagram where they recognized that "we f*cked up" and "we should have been quicker + louder." The post also stated: "You are right to be upset with us — we were slow to show our support of BLACK LIVES MATTER and we should have done more. Dolls Kill is a company, but first _ foremost a collective of misfits who work 2 make this brand what it is & we need to make some things clear. WE @ DOLLS KILL CONDEMN RACISM, POLICE BRUTALITY, VIOLENCE, BIGOTRY AND HATE."

The company went on to say they don't usually speak out on issues and leave that to their customers, but that's not an excuse. Even after writing that they would donate to BLM, SZA slid in the comments and asked, "You called the cops on protestors???? ... wow." Rico Nasty also tweeted that the brand's owner unfollowed her on social media. "See y'all at Hot Topic," she wrote. Coi Leray called for the brand to be canceled, especially as it surfaced that they've carried clothing that stated "Goth is white" and "Dead girls can't say no." Check out their apology and a few responses below.

In the Spring of last year, SZA took to Twitter to share an incident that left her disturbed. According to the Top Dawg Entertainment singer, she was at Sephora minding her own business when a white employee called mall security because she believed SZA was stealing. The celebrity-laden neighborhood of Calabasas isn't that diverse, so "Sandy Sephora," as SZA dubbed her, seemed to racially profile the singer.

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In the wake of these current times as protests are being overrun with riots and looters, SZA shared she was out in California trying to do some shopping when she was asked to leave the store. "I’ve had the WEEIRDDESSST EXPERIENCES TODAY. ? another random ass man tried to remove me from a plaza In palisades while attempting to buy dog food for fear I was a 'rioter'," she tweeted on Sunday (May 31). "Lol He asked the grocery employee if he was 'okay' after watching him speak w me then told me 2 leave??." A fan asked if the man who confronted her was "you know," meaning white, and SZA confirmed that he was.

"Between the 'lock and load' rhetoric on my neighborhood app + being rushed out of a public space for being considered a rioter ...I was in tears," SZA added. "Couldn’t even jump up and down how I wanted cause I didn’t wanna look like a 'rioter' to the legion of cops across the street. Smh. And in that moment I realized I cared more about the white gaze than my own humanity .. I was sad for me . I don’t wanna live like that no more . I wanna cry and yell if I need to .. no guilt trip." Check out her tweets below.

An artist can have their own sound and make their own lane, but regardless of the genre, it’s certain that they’re going to be compared to someone else. It’s something that comes with being in the music industry, and Kehlani recently touched on the subject while speaking with Teen Vogue for her cover feature. The singer is still riding high from her freshly released project It Was Good Until It Wasn’t and she spoke with the outlet about being connected to other female artists as people try to rope them all in together. 

“Fans put so much pressure on artists, sometimes more than the industry,” said Kehlani. “I’ve never been compared more in my life than last year and this year, and now it seems like every day I see a ‘SZA, Kehlani, H.E.R., or Summer Walker — one of them has to go.’” Not all fans feel that way, of course, but the pressure can be a bit daunting for artists who just want to create music.

Kehlani also spoke about three of her close friends who have all passed away in recent years: Mac Miller, Lexii Alijai, and Chynna Rogers. She and Mac were scheduled to have lunch together the day he died and Kehlani had planned on not only taking Lexii on tour but signing her to a deal. “Chynna, I had brought her out at my shows. She slept in my house all the time in Brooklyn and we would talk about how we can do this.”

“We have to start appreciating multiple people at the same time,” she added. “I’m sure if [Mac, Lexii, and Chynna] felt a little bit more successful, a little bit more loved, things might have gone a little different. Life might have been in a better place.”

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Back in 2017, SZA came through with arguably one of the best debut records of the entire decade, in CTRL. This r&b album was a pivotal moment in SZA’s career as it put her on the map as one of the best singer-songwriters in the genre. As a member of TDE, SZA has had increased visibility and for the last three years, fans have been begging her to release a new album.

In the midst of recording new music, SZA has embraced her modeling side and has been featured as part of numerous campaigns and magazine covers. Today, SZA shared her latest cover in which she stunningly poses for Wonderland. As she explains in her caption, the entire photoshoot was done at home, which makes a lot of sense when you consider how we are in the midst of a Coronavirus-imposed quarantine.

So if you’ve been wondering what SZA has been up to this whole time, well, now you know. If you’re a diehard fan of her music, you’re probably wishing she would post a teaser to a new song but we’re sure that will come in due time.

Besides, CTRL will definitely keep you occupied as you navigate through quarantine.

Quarantine has SZA looking absolutely snatched out here.

The 29-year-old singer has been living her life these last few years, not releasing much new music at all. She seemingly found herself a new home in Hawaii and focused on her spiritual journey toward happiness, which we can’t blame her for. Although we would all love to hear what she’s been working on in the studio, that time will eventually come. For now, we can admire her from afar, taking in her natural beauty as she dances to come classic rap tunes.

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With Memphis Bleek and JAY-Z’s “Dear Summer” playing in the background, SZA whined her body along to the smooth track, taking in Hov’s words. Wearing a cute Hello Kitty filter on her face, the artist grabbed hold of her femininity and showed off her ultra-flat stomach, encouraging us all to get some abs exercises in.

The comments are filled with star-struck individuals unsure of how SZA could be so gorgeous. Of course, there are also a number of people begging for new music, which isn’t uncommon to see on her page these days.

It’s safe to say that SZA is enjoying herself during quarantine, striving in her introverted nature and finding the energy to allow us in to shower her with praise.

SZA was joined by her good friend Lizzo to guide a joint meditation session over Instagram live together in order to bring healing to the world during these difficult times. SZA is known for her commitments to centering one’s energy and maintaining that balance, and it looks like Lizzo is just as fond of that practice. The two talented songstresses conducted the 45-minute session while viewers at home followed along, and one of the key points that they emphasized while they meditated was the importance of self-care. SZA made sure to touch on how the collective heightened substance use taking place during quarantine can take a major toll on your body.

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“All these drugs… like liquor, weed, all these things, they lower your immune system,” she said. “It f*cks with your ability to fight things off. Tobacco—I used to smoke spliffs all the time, I used to smoke Backwoods all the time. I stopped that sh*t. Why? It was bodying my ability to heal and, like, correct myself, and taking me 10 steps back every time I would make five steps forward.” SZA proceeded to play her Tibetan singing bowl as they moved on to the sound-healing part of the session, while Lizzo showed off her well-known chops on the flute. After they both took a break, Lizzo began explaining how she’s been dealing with her unhealthy relationship to social media while in quarantine, since it’s become so much harder to avoid.

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“For me, this is a whole dimension—social media, the internet—it’s a whole other world,” she said. “And for me, it’s not the healthiest world to be in, especially as of late. But since we’ve been in our houses, this is my destination. This is where I go, this is where I go on vacation, mind breaks. And when I go to this place and I overindulge in it, it’s made me really sick. It’s made my perception of myself sick, it’s made my joy sick. And I don’t think I was putting myself first. So now I’m just doing little things.” Lizzo shared a snippet from their live stream on her Instagram, explaining the process of sound healing and thanking SZA for letting her join.

“As your heart beats, it sends a vibration through your body,” she wrote. “Imagine all the water and blood and organs in your body vibing to your heartbeat, like a drum.. again.. and again… The higher you vibrate, the higher your body can function. Music is a tool to get to that high vibration, it’s heart opening. Thank you @sza for letting me raise the frequency with you. Some people didn’t understand, but they gon feel it. In case you missed it, here’s something to meditate to— open yo chakras and yo mouth and sing with us!!! I promise you’ll feel better.” Watch their full meditation routine below:

Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith has declared this to be TDE Fan Appreciation Week so, on each day, an artist from the label is releasing some new music. It all started out with Ab-Soul, who dropped his first new single in years on Monday. Then, Zacari came through with a doublet of new tracks. On Wednesday, Isaiah Rashadresurfaced. This morning, we were met with new music from SiR. With Fan Appreciation Week coming to a close tomorrow, could SZA be the final piece to the puzzle?

It’s been an extremely long time since we’ve gotten any solo releases from SZA and, considering the fact that Top Dawg is clearing house this week, there’s a good chance she’s next on the card. 

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While that’s simply presumptive, one thing is for sure. SZA has a banging body and she’s unafraid to show the world.

This winter, the CTRL artist spent time in Hawaii where she uploaded regular pictures from her journey. In many of them, she was rocking revealing bathing suits. She followed that same formula to capture our attention on Earth Day, showing major love to Mother Nature on Instagram.

“Happy EARF DAY,” wrote the 29-year-old. She followed the message by promoting her Instagram Live, where she would go on to share a thoughtful conversation with a special guest.

Are you hoping SZA is the final release of the week for TDE?

Who else is suddenly inspired to buy a trampoline right now?

TDE songstress SZA has been teasing the arrival of her upcoming album for over a year and the fans are starting to get a little impatient. In fact, it would appear as though the singer can’t do much else without being harrassed for the album.

This week, she took to Instagram to show off how she’s staying active and entertained during quarantine, relying on her trampoline to stay fit in these spooky hours. She headed to the backyard to get some jumping done, learning how to perform a backflip on the trampoline. The recording artist was seemingly too lazy to change into an actual outfit (aren’t we all these days?) so she stayed in her underwear during the entire display.

In one video, she tries an advanced maneuver, coming pretty close to landing it perfectly. However, she jumped a little too high into it and didn’t end up succeeding. Then, she went for a simple backflip and earned a great result.

In her comments, the majority of fans are asking for new music, which isn’t exactly new. SZA has not released a full-length studio project almost in almost three years. Alongside her Top Dawg Entertainment cohorts, she is one of the artists that has kept fans waiting for the longest for some new vibes off the label.

Check out her moves below (and cross your fingers for new music)!

Tons of famous folks from New Jersey including SZA, Halsey, Bruce Springsteen, Charlie Puth, and more are partaking in a live-streamed benefit event to raise money for the state that's been deeply impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Apart from its neighbouring state of New York, New Jersey has been hit hardest by COVID-19, with over 64,000 cases reported by the CDC. As a result, a benefit live stream event will be held on April 22nd at 7:00 pm EST/4:00pm PST in an effort to raise money for the newly formed New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund. “Jersey 4 Jersey" boasts an impressive lineup of celebrities hailing from the Garden State that will be in attendance. The event will see performances from SZA, Halsey, Charlie Puth, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and Tony Bennett, as well as appearances from non-musical talent like Jon Stewart, Chelsea Handler, Danny DeVito, Whoopi Goldberg, Kelly Ripa, and Saquon Barkley.

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Springsteen announced the event during his appearance on Good Morning America  video chat on Tuesday. “New Jersey has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and the people of New Jersey have always stepped up during difficult times," The Boss explained. "That’s why I’m pleased to announce that on April 22nd, I hope you’ll join me, Jon Bon Jovi, Tony Bennett, Jon Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, Charlie Puth, SZA, Saquon Barkley, Danny DeVito, Chelsea Handler, and many more for this special event."