The buzz surrounding Detroit rapper DeJ Loaf's 2014 breakthrough single "Try Me" was enough to land her a contract with Columbia Records and quickly elevate her from local legend to worldwide renown, but her output for the next six years would take the form of EPs, mixtapes, and guest features. The deal with Columbia was short-lived, but DeJ stayed active while working toward a long-awaited proper studio album debut. That album, Sell Sole II, serves as a continuation of 2014 mixtape Sell Sole, and the radical differences in style, production, and lyrical technique reflect how much DeJ Loaf has changed in the time between the two projects. Her talent for balancing raw, aggressive rap flows with sleek rap-singing melodies has long been a defining aspect of her artistry, and melody stays in the forefront of Sell Sole II. Stand-out tracks like the Gunna-assisted "No Ceiling," while "Up" features 6lack find DeJ delivering her rhymes in a slow-moving meter that's dotted with vocal harmonizing. Slick production and restrained songwriting make up the majority of the album. Thick synth lines and gliding trap drums make for an infectious instrumental on "Cross That Line," and a combination of airy samples and booming bass hits give the sex-driven "Simply" a simmering intensity. These moments of relative smoothness are broken up by displays of the rapper's rougher side. "IDK" is a show of power and hostility, with DeJ trading verses with Big Sean asserting superiority with sharp wit. "Tap In" is similarly hyped up, offering a counterpoint to the cool, collected energy of much of the album. Sell Sole II finds DeJ Loaf in full capacity of her powers with an album that's consistent and controlled and doesn't relax for a second. While more songs default to her specific brand of pressurized beats and melodic hooks than brash, energetic anthems, DeJ's aloof confidence comes through even in the album's quietest moments.
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