SZA Details Being Profiled While Shopping For Dog Food: "I Was In Tears"

BY Erika Marie 16.0K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Phillip Faraone / Stringer / Getty Images
SZA
SZA was in California shopping in the Palisades for dog food when a white man tried to get her kicked out for being a "rioter."

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.

Jamie McCarthy / Staff / Getty Images

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.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.