DeJ's voice is perhaps one of the most recognizable in Hip-Hop and R&B music, as her Motor City roots gave her both soul and edge. Born and raised on the East Side of Detroit, Michigan, DeJ Loaf (an amalgam of her first name “Deja” mixed with being a sneakerhead “Loafer”) was actually bound for nursing school prior to entering the music industry. At 20 years old, she left school to become a full-time musician, and it paid off. DeJ started with mixtape releases, from Just Do It in 2012 to the critically acclaimed Sell Sole in 2014. That’s when the buzz started building. She inked a deal with Columbia Records, as her debut single “Try Me” cracked the Billboard Top 50, going Gold.