Dej Loaf

Biography

Deja Monét Trimble (born April 8, 1991), known professionally as Dej Loaf (stylized as DeJ Loaf), is an American rapper and singer from Detroit, Michigan. She is best known for her 2014 single "Try Me×Try Me15 October 2014 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Try Me3:38" and its 2015 follow-up, "Back Up" (featuring Big Sean). The latter received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and served as lead single for her debut extended play ...And See That's the Thing (2015), which was released by Columbia Records. Both songs, along with her guest appearance on Kid Ink's 2015 single "Be Real", peaked within the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut studio album, Sell Sole II×Sell Sole II23 October 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Bird Call 23:162Queen2:523Cross That Line2:564Bubbly3:205IDK2:406No Passes3:177Obvious2:108Choose2:469No Ceiling2:4210Tap In4:3111Open Hand3:3912Get Money4:2913Just Like Me3:1114Simply3:2615Back to My Ways Again3:0716Up3:26 (2020), was met with positive critical reception despite failing to chart.

Early life

Trimble was raised on the east side of Detroit, Michigan. As a child, she often listened to music with her parents and grandmother, including 2Pac, Rakim and Miles Davis. Her father was killed when she was four years old. A self-described "good kid and a decent student" who mostly kept to herself, she began writing her own original music at the age of 9. In 2009, she graduated from Southeastern High School in Detroit, playing basketball at the junior varsity level. She then attended Saginaw Valley State University and studied nursing for three semesters before deciding to focus full-time on her recording career.

Career

In 2011, Dej Loaf began her career as a hip hop artist. Her stage name is a portmanteau of a shortened version of her first name, "Deja", and "loafer", as she took a keen interest in Air Jordans when growing up. In 2012, she released her first official mixtape, Just Do It×Just Do It7 February 2012 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Art Williams Skit "Just Do It"2:382Intro2:583My Life3:364Meant for Me4:055Mommy I'm a Princess2:146Mrs. Williams4:197College3:568Chris Bryant Skit0:379Really Want This3:0810Welcome to the Nike Life2:5211Just Do It3:0612Go for What You Know3:0613Ay Yah3:3614More Money More Problems3:4615Doing It Big3:5716Feeling Good4:3117Outro3:2918Madamedodue Skit0:56. It attracted the attention of fellow Detroit-native rapper SAYITAINTTONE, who signed her to his record label, IBGM (I Been Gettin' Money). In July 2014, she released her song "Try Me×Try Me15 October 2014 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Try Me3:38" (produced by DDS), as a single, which earned her viral popularity. Canadian rapper Drake quoted lyrics from the song in his Instagram post. In October 2014, she signed a major record deal to Columbia Records. After signing the deal, she released her second official mixtape and major label debut, Sell Sole. The mixtape was given an "A−" by music critic Robert Christgau, who wrote in his review for Vice, "What's irresistible is the form-content disparity—a rapper who brags so un-macho, a rapper whose greed is so explicitly for her family, a rapper who's "Grindin'" at music. Plus her flow is a brook, her producer respects her space, and her two sex rhymes are into it and into it more."
Dej Loaf rapped on the song "Detroit vs. Everybody" featured on Eminem's compilation Shady XV (2014). In 2015, she opened for Nicki Minaj during the North American leg of The Pinkprint Tour. Later that year, she was chosen as part of the XXL magazine 2015 Freshman Class.
In February 2016, Dej Loaf released a mixtape called All Jokes Aside×All Jokes Aside6 April 2016 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Vibes1:082Who Am I?3:093Chase Mine3:524How3:375Keep Going3:326I'm Gon' Win4:207Bitch Please3:138Make Money3:519Bout Dat4:1910Die 4 It4:1911Goals3:36. In July 2017, she released a joint mixtape with Jacquees titled Fuck a Friend Zone.
After several years of delays, Dej Loaf split from Columbia Records in 2019. She then independently released her debut album, Sell Sole II×Sell Sole II23 October 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Bird Call 23:162Queen2:523Cross That Line2:564Bubbly3:205IDK2:406No Passes3:177Obvious2:108Choose2:469No Ceiling2:4210Tap In4:3111Open Hand3:3912Get Money4:2913Just Like Me3:1114Simply3:2615Back to My Ways Again3:0716Up3:26 on October 23, 2020. It features appearances from Big Sean, Gunna, Rick Ross, Lil Uzi Vert, and 6lack. The album is the sequel to Dej Loaf's 2014 mixtape Sell Sole. The album holds a 72/100 rating on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
In February 2021, Dej Loaf was featured on Sevyn Streeter's single "Guilty" along with Chris Brown and ASAP Ferg.

Mixtapes

Just Do It (2012)
Sell Sole (2014)
All Jokes Aside (2016)
Fuck a Friend Zone (with Jacquees) (2017)