SZA, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, and several other Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) artists performed at the label’s 10th annual Christmas concert at the Nickerson Gardens Housing Project in Watts, California on Tuesday and Wednesday. Jay Rock, who grew up at Nickerson Gardens, served as the host for the two-day event. Watts previously honored him with a key to the city back in 2019.
“I grew up here and for people to see us come back and give back, it’s a blessing,” Jay Rock said in a statement. “I was one of these kids out here too. This lets them know that they can do this too. If there’s a kid out there trying to strive for something great, it’s motivation that no matter where you come from, you can make it out if you stay dedicated.”
Read More: TDE's Annual Concert & Toy Giveaway Recap
SZA On Stage For TDE's Concert
For SZA, the performance comes as she continues to prepare for the release of her next effort, Lana. While the project initially began as a traditional deluxe version of her 2022 album, SOS, SZA admitted to Variety back in November that it was starting to feel more like its own full project. “It became more than I thought. It was gonna be something really soft because I had made all my screaming points [on ‘SOS’], and I just wanted to glide and not think [too much], and just get out of my own head. I was so happy to say some shit that didn’t mean a fucking thing. But now it’s definitely turning it into its own album. I guess I could drop another album randomly, because no one’s actually expecting that from me right now,” she told the outlet.
SZA Performs At TDE's Christmas Event
Check out a clip of SZA's appearance at the Christmas concert above. Be on the lookout for further updates on SZA and the rest of TDE on HotNewHipHop.
[Via]