Many were first introduced to Detroit's Dej Loaf through her appearance on Eminem's high profile hometown anthem, which also featured Royce Da 5'9", Big Sean, and Danny Brown. And while the emcee didn't have a verse on the track, her inclusion served as a co-sign, acknowledgment of her place in the Detroit hip-hop scene. Recently, her single "No Fear" has amassed almost six million views, and the young artist's eighties pop inspired jam signaled a sonic evolution. In short, Dej Loaf was getting older and wiser, a fact that was to be reflected in her music.
We recently sat down with Dej Loaf during her appearance at NYFW, and covered a variety of topics. Clearly, Dej is a woman of many interests, with ambition to branch out into different fields, challenging herself in the process. When asked about the evolving nature of her style, Dej addresses her process, stating "it wasn't like a point where I was like 'yo, I gotta switch my style.' My hair started growing...That caused me to try new hair styles, and you know, not being afraid to try new things."
As they say, fear is a powerful motivator. Dej opens up about the meaning behind "No Fear," which stemmed from her childhood. "Fear held me back a lot, personally as a kid. Growing up, like I was very shy and to myself, and you know, that kind of holds you back." The idea of overcoming fear is one of the driving forces behind her upcoming music. Rather than sticking close to her comfort zone, Dej seems much more interested in "spreading her wings" and doing the music that inspires her, regardless of any preconceived notions of confinement.
Check out the interview in full for more from Dej, including a detailed breakdown of her best Instagram photos.