With a daunting cascade of releases spewing from the likes of DatPiff, LiveMixtapes, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud, it can be difficult to keep up with the overbearing yet increasingly vital mixtape game. In this column, we aim to immerse ourselves in this hyper-prolific world and share our favorite releases each month. The focus will primarily be on rap mixtapes — loosely defined here as free (or sometimes free-to-stream) digital releases — but we’ll keep things loose enough to branch out if/when we feel it necessary. (Check out last month’s installment here.)
DeJ Loaf - All Jokes Aside
In a recent statement, DeJ Loaf described All Jokes Aside as mixtape about growth. “It’s called growth, it’s called maturity, it’s called living life to the full potential and being true to who you are.” For DeJ, growth means chasing self-made boss status over relationships, which she’s clearly over at this point in her life. Throughout the tape’s 11 tracks DeJ exudes a cool confidence over jangly, airy, and most of all, perfectly laid-back springtime beats courtesy of Izze the Producer, frequent collaborator DDS, and Sonny Digital. Despite All Jokes Aside’s serious tone, DeJ Loaf’s flows and tongue-in-cheek raps are largely smoove, infectious, and endlessly entertaining. DeJ’s biggest, most recognizable single remains “Try Me,” her breakout hit from two years ago, but tracks like “I’m Gon’ Win” and “How” will inevitably become surefire highlights in her career.