Ten years ago, in 2014,DeJ Loafseemed on the cusp of superstardom.
Until recently, she had only dropped a couple of singles in the previous four years.
End of Summer, the album she released on Oct. 11, shows shes still got it.
Sarah Fleming*
Honestly, Im behind, so Im just like, Yo, I owe yall this.
Its non-stop for me now, she says.
They definitely could look forward to getting about two, three more projects within the next year.
You just got to be mindful of your power.
She admits, I lost myself a little bit letting other people drive and navigate my life.
I learned to trust myself and not be naive.
Had to relearn that.
I feel like people werent able to receive the album well, she reflects.
(A representative for the label did not respond to a request for comment.)
We got to fix this.
I feel like I experienced everything I needed to for the time that I did, she says.
I love being here, she says.
I love being able to go out and its not a big deal.
And the city has changed so much so its nice.
Everybodys ending the summer, grindin and cuddling up.
Its all those emotions.
Those emotions are resonant throughoutEnd of Summer.
The late album, two-song sequence of Light It Up and Ride On Me exemplifies the DeJ Loaf experience.
The albums slew of collaborators mostly came about over the past year.
On album intro Dangerous she sings, started a couple trends and I didnt get recognition.
But she adds, Then again, I dont know, I cant really call it.
It makes me upset at times.
Ive grown past being bitter about it because Im gonna keep doing what I do.
They were therewhenDAZEDjustifiably called her the worlds most exciting new rapper.
I definitely saw [myself] having that longevity in the game, she says.
Ultimately, she concludes, Its hard to live up to peoples expectations.
Got to live up to your own.
Everybodys like, I knew it, I knew it!
And its like, Duh.
Thats the same thing I was saying.
I knew it, too.
In 2015, when asked about her preference, she told BET, It is what it is.
She says shes been annoyed by how onlookers have speculated about her romantic life.
I just felt like people have this thing [of] trying to narrate, she says.
I let them narrate who I was for too long.
And they still dont know… Im comfortable with who I am.
Its being yourself, she says.
And the same for men too.
Along with her own music, she says shed like to explore songwriting for others.
I think I have a bigger purpose outside of this.
Thats why I stopped worrying, she says.
I used to be so depressed about my career and its like, No, forget this.
I never want to be sad about music again.
Thats not what music is for.
Thats not what I started it for.
