I’m guessing your week has been pretty insane.Įvery day something special has happened. We spoke to Dej about the crazy trajectory of “Try Me,” life after a Drake co-sign, and the footwear choices that lead to her name.

But there’s more to Dej than just “Try Me” her Soundcloud ranges from straightforward spitting to 90’s-style R&B ballads. It at once evokes the warbly vocal manipulations of post- Future Atlanta, the hypercolor sparkle of Chicago bop, the slurry melodicism of Cincinnati youngsters RahnRahn Splash and Chubb Splash, while also sounding like absolutely nothing else out.

Whether Drake will release his own remix remains to be seen, but regardless, “Try Me” is poised for “Hot Nigga”-level ubiquity.įor a song with such immediate buzz, “Try Me” is pretty damn weird: its shimmering backdrop (from Detroit producer DDS) softens the edges of Dej’s blunt lyrics, and her Auto-tuned sing-song makes dead-serious lines like “Put the burner to his tummy and make it bubbly” sound like cozy nursery rhymes. Since he quoted her intoxicating single “Try Me” in an Instagram post late last week, the song has taken off: it’s been referenced by everyone from Kevin Durant to Ty Dolla $ign, and on Monday, Wiz Khalifa delivered his remix of the track.

The dust has barely settled from Makonnen’s meteoric rise from Atlanta DIY weirdo to the newest member of the OVO Sound roster, but the power of the almighty Drake co-sign has struck again, this time with Detroit rap-singer Dej Loaf.

Dej loaf try me rap genius