Living in the projects, I met my best friend. My mom used to play lots of Mary J Blige and do lots of “kitchen hair.” We moved back in with my mom after a year of staying with my grandma. We were too young to understand, we just went with the flow. She had gone through a lot, dealing with my dad’s death. I was 5 or 6 years old, and all I wanted was my mom. I remember thinking about this song in hopes that I would see him in the next lifetime. Me and my two brothers had to move with her after my dad had been killed. My grandma used to press out my hair every other morning and burn me.

I remember this one vividly.Īnother song I learned as a child, although I probably shouldn’t have been listening to the song. Next up it’s Dej Loaf, the rapper who released the mixtape All Jokes Aside this year.įirst song I learned how to rap. As we celebrate the 2016 ESSENCE Festival, taking place today through Sunday in New Orleans, artists from our power-packed lineup will sum up their lives-from childhood to stardom-in 10 songs.

Dej loaf try me vevo