"Kill 'em with kindness" and whatnot, but Detroit rapper/singer Dej Loaf's style is more "kindness with kill 'em." With "Try Me," the young upstart has acquired viral fortitude and a prominent roster of co-signers, including Drake (who quoted the track on his Instagram) and Wiz Khalifa (who remixed it earlier this month). It's no mystery why: she sings lyrics like "put the burner to his tummy/make it bubbly" and "turn a bitch to some macaroni" in the gentlest voice, letting the dissonance put the fear in the hearts of wack dudes. It's the most evil, and practically gangster-movie-levels of mind control—the idea that she wields so much power that she does not even have to raise her voice to deliver an salient threat. There's a chapter about that in the 6 Habits of Highly Effective Bosses or some shit, right? There should be. "Mind full of money, got a heart full of demons," she raps. "Mobbin' like Italians, we really take your fingas."
For the "Try Me" video, Loaf continues the thread of extraordinary murkage in ordinary situations, juxtaposing the familiar posse shot and scenes of Detroit landscape with an average morning in her robe, starting her day with some Rice Krispies. The track then interpolates into "We Good," another hardliner boss song, but this one's a little sadder—maybe from the minor key, or from the reservation she puts in a line like, "We don't rap beef/we really clap heat." Her voice is really remarkable in its tone, and that second robe, the tan fluffy one, very "Cherchez la Dej." She's definitely on the come-up.