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Music

DeJ Loaf's New Video Pays Homage To Historic Detroit Dance Style, the Jit

Kind of like footwork, but from Detroit.

If you're a footwork and juke connoisseur, you probably loved DeJ Loaf's Big Sean-featuring summer single "Back Up" off the bat because of its sample of DJ Clent's 2004 juke anthem, "Back Up Off Me." Though Clent hails from Chicago, "Back Up Off Me" is also known around the midwest as a popular go-to for dancing the Detroit Jit, a style of movement comparable to footwork and characterized by its rapid-fire tempo and extreme precision.

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In an homage to her hometown, DeJ's new video for the single features her and her friends skating and doing the Jit at Royal Skateland, a Detroit roller rink that she frequented growing up. The result is far from phoned-in, offering an inspiring look into a pretty amazing local dance culture—check it out above, listen to DJ Clent's THUMP mix here, and order a copy of DeJ's new EP, #AndSeeThatsTheThing, via iTunes. To make things even more fun, DeJ is also encouraging fans to record and upload their own #BackUpDance jitting videos, the best of which she's collecting on a Tumblr here.

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