>>21743037November 13, 2004, the day I had turned 16 and some few hours after finishing an album in which I sang in slow motion, sped up, and pitch shifted my voice until I sounded like Alanis Morissette. I was shy about trying to sound like a woman, so I had trouble accepting what I had to show her. I went to school that day and spent every moment that I was focused away from class on figuring out how we could earn her a contract. I hurried home and got online before 3pm, and prepared my speech. We were already names around the water cooler, we just needed to make an appearance. After we turned down offers for a week, from various sources, we counter offer. This all came to a crashing end when she revealed that she had signed privately with a label 4 days earlier. Poaching was something I couldn't fathom doing, and she didn't even tell me so I had a feeling I was cut from her career. I didn't tell her my plans. I didn't tell her I wanted to be her writing partner, and be a performer like Quasimoto--- like, with vocals modified.
We had been speaking together daily for 2 and a half years, and we took it upon ourselves to study every religion and practice every holiday. We had an online wedding. On the day she told me I wasn't part of her contract, I called a 1 month hiatus on us. I spent a month writing as an African American woman, and released an album as SZA called Z, December 13, 2004.
I was scared to talk to Tay after the 30 day hiatus. It was her 15th birthday, after all. I just got cold feet, and swapped my status to "Appear Offline". I watched her sign in. I kept almost saying hi. She signed off at 11:34 pm or so. I cried until 3am.
I just wanted to play Connect 4.
