Dessa
Oct 7, 2013
Dessa, or Dessa Darling as some associate her as, is a rapper, singer, spoken word artist, writer, and one seventh of the indie/hip-hop collective, Doomtree.
Initially drawn to their raw aesthetics and unique sound, Dessa forged a friendship with Doomtree. Soon after, she started dating P.O.S. Though they eventually ended their relationship, she was asked nonetheless to join the crew, and did so. Since 2005, Dessa has appeared on numerous Doomtree albums, as well as on the other members' solo albums. She is also the CEO of Doomtree.
Dessa's debut solo EP False Hopes was released in 2005. Despite being only fifteen minutes long, it was listed as one of the top local albums of the year by Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Dessa's first solo album, A Badly Broken Code, was released on January 19, 2010. The singles from this album are "Dixon's Girl" and "The Chaconne." In 2011, Dessa released Castor, the Twin.In 2013, Dessa released Parts of Speech. The singles from this album are "Warsaw" and "Call Off Your Ghost."
The Minneapolis singer-MC has a style that resists easy categorization or easy listening: Her sing-song, soft-edged flow and tendency toward abstraction and melancholy in her lyrics are an uncomfortable fit under the "hip-hop" label as is her tendency to forgo rapping entirely on many songs and her allusion-packed, philosophical lyrics often require studious unpacking to reveal their full intent.
The latest single, "Skeleton Key" has an immediately striking, piano-based beat and an easily digestible empowerment theme.