In 2009, she graduated from Southeastern High School in Detroit, playing basketball at the junior varsity level. A self-described 'good kid and a decent student' who mostly kept to herself, she began writing her own original music at the age of 9.

Her father was killed when she was four years old. As a child, she often listened to music with her parents and grandmother, including 2Pac, Rakim and Miles Davis. In 2015 she issued the #AndSeeThatsTheThing EP along with the hit single 'Back Up' featuring Big Sean.Deja Trimble was raised on the East side of Detroit, Michigan. After a handful of headlining gigs, she closed out 2014 by opening for fan Erykah Badu at Detroit's Fox Theatre. Second single 'We Good,' also produced by DDS, was released as her second major-label single. Columbia's official release of 'Try Me' reached the Top Ten of Billboard's Hot Rap Songs chart. Everybody' beside fellow Detroiters Eminem, Royce da 5'9', Big Sean, Danny Brown, and Trick Trick. (DeJ did approve of a version that featured a verse from Wiz Khalifa.) She signed to Columbia, released a second mixtape, and appeared on the Aftermath release 'Detroit vs. The platinum-selling star's acknowledgment increased DeJ's profile exponentially and set off a wave of unauthorized versions from fellow rappers. In July 2014, two years after she released her first mixtape, she uploaded 'Try Me,' a low-key, melodic track produced by Ypsilanti native DDS, which caught the attention of Drake, who referenced it on Instagram. Through a period that included a few semesters of attending Saginaw Valley State and working as a janitor at a Chrysler factory, she continued to develop her talent but didn't gain much traction. At some point she established her stage name, with DeJ pronounced similar to 'beige' and Loaf a reference to her footwear preference.

She took music more seriously in high school, after she quit playing basketball at the junior varsity level. Rapper DeJ Loaf, born Deja Trimble, grew up on the east side of Detroit, Michigan and started writing lyrics at a young age.

Dej loaf no fear album cover