If you were scrolling through Twitter back in October 2020, you probably remember the collective "wait, what?" that took over the timeline. It all started with a single line in a song. 21 Savage and Metro Boomin had just dropped Savage Mode II, and Drake, being Drake, decided to use his guest verse on "Mr. Right Now" to drop a casual bombshell.
The line was: "Yeah, said she wanna f— to some SZA, wait / 'Cause I used to date SZA back in '08."
Wait. 2008?
Social media went into a tailspin. Fans immediately started doing the "celebrity math," and the numbers looked a little messy. If they dated in 2008, SZA would have been 17 for most of that year, while Drake was 21 or 22. Naturally, the internet did what it does best: it panicked. People were ready to pull out the "creepy" labels before the song even finished its first week on the charts. But then, Solana herself stepped in to set the record straight, and honestly, her vibe about the whole thing was pretty chill.
The 2009 Correction: Clearing the Air
SZA didn't let the rumors fester. She hopped on X (then Twitter) to clarify that while the dating part was true, the timing was slightly off. "So it was actually 2009 lol," she wrote. She basically explained that Drake took some "poetic rap license" because 2008 happened to rhyme with "wait" a lot better than 2009 did.
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It makes sense.
She was 18 or 19 at the time, and he was around 23. She was very specific about wanting to ensure no one thought anything "underage or creepy" was happening. According to her, it was a "completely innocent" situation that happened "lifetimes ago."
Why Did SZA and Drake Date and Why Did It End?
When we think of SZA now, we think of the powerhouse behind SOS and Ctrl. Back in 2009, she wasn't that person yet. She was just Solana. Drake, on the other hand, was right on the cusp of global superstardom with So Far Gone.
In a 2023 interview with Rolling Stone, SZA opened up a bit more about what that time was actually like. She described it as a "childish" fling. It wasn't some grand, sweeping romance or a "hot and heavy" relationship that broke her heart.
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"We were really young," she told the magazine. "It wasn’t hot and heavy or anything. It was like youth vibes. It was so childish."
Think about your own flings from when you were 19. They’re usually messy, brief, and eventually become a funny story you tell your friends a decade later. That seems to be exactly what this was for them. They were two young people in the industry who crossed paths before the world really knew who they were.
The Evolution of Their Connection
Most celebrity exes end up in a permanent state of "it’s complicated" or total silence. These two? They actually seem to be genuinely cool.
- The 2017 Toronto Sighting: Long before the "Mr. Right Now" verse, Drake was spotted backstage at SZA’s Ctrl tour stop in Toronto. People thought they were just industry peers showing love. Looking back, he was probably just supporting an old friend.
- The Instagram Shoutouts: When SZA dropped "Hit Different" in 2020, Drake posted her on his story calling her "chef’s kiss."
- The Musical Reunion: In 2023, they finally gave the fans what they wanted: a collaboration. "Slime You Out" hit number one, followed by "Rich Baby Daddy."
It’s rare to see a former "fling" turn into a productive professional partnership, but they pulled it off. Even when SZA jokingly compared Drake to Regina George from Mean Girls in late 2022—referencing how everyone is obsessed with him and the drama that follows—it felt like a joke between friends rather than a jab from an enemy.
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The Kendrick Lamar Complication
Fast forward to 2024 and 2025, and things got a little more awkward, though not because of their past romance. The massive feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar put SZA in a weird spot. She’s famously close with Kendrick (they’re TDE royalty, after all), but she has this history and working relationship with Drake.
During the height of the beef, a leaked Drake demo for "Push Ups" even mentioned her, suggesting she was more deserving of a "Big 3" spot than Kendrick. SZA’s reaction on Instagram was basically a confused meme. She didn't take the bait. By the time the 2025 Super Bowl rolled around—with Kendrick headlining and SZA joining him—it was clear where her professional loyalties remained, even if she and Drake are "all love and peace" personally.
What This Tells Us About Celebrity Dating
Honestly, the biggest takeaway here is how much we don't know about the private lives of stars before they "make it." SZA and Drake managed to keep a relationship completely under wraps for over a decade. It only came to light because Drake decided to reminisce on a track.
It also shows that not every breakup has to be a "Kill Bill" situation. SZA has plenty of songs about wanting to take out an ex, but Drake doesn't seem to be the inspiration for those. He's just the guy from 2009 who rhymed her name with a year that didn't quite fit.
If you’re looking for more context on their current status, your best bet is to look at their 2023 collaborations. The chemistry in the music is there, but the "childish" romance is clearly buried in the past.
Next Steps for Fans: If you want to hear the dynamic for yourself, go back and listen to "Slime You Out" followed by "Mr. Right Now." You can hear the shift from Drake bragging about the past to the two of them actually trading verses as equals in the present day. You might also want to check out SZA's 2023 Rolling Stone cover story for the full deep dive into her headspace regarding her early career and the people who were there before the fame.