Def Loaf is back with a triumphant-sounding new single, “Changes.” After the laid-back dance-funk of “No Fear,” Dej switches it up with blaring, soulful horns, crackling drum rolls, and crashing cymbals for the exhilarating new single that finds her flexing the same “Try Me”-style braggadocio that made her a hip-hop star in the first place.
Since the success of her breakthrough mixtape Selling Sole, the diminutive Detroit MC has seemingly been on a mission to prove that she can tackle any sound in hip-hop. From the woozy synths and tough talk of her most recent solo offering, All Jokes Aside, to the seductive duets of her joint project with R&B singer Jacquees, F*ck A Friend Zone, the pint-sized rapper has displayed incredible versatility and patience as she develops a sound and direction for her major label debut, due sometime this year.
“Changes” adds a grandiose sound akin to Jay-Z’s “Roc Boys” to Dej’s catalog, and it’s a sound she’s well-suited for, as she laments fake friends turning into strangers and venom from exes hating on her newfound fame, but celebrates the positive upswing in her fortunes. She weaves easily between diamond-tipped lyrical threats and exuberant singing on the chorus, displaying exactly the sort of growth that will serve her well on her quest to take advantage of the door opened by Cardi B and prove that female rappers can top the charts.
