Dessa

For other uses, see Dessa (disambiguation).
Dessa

Dessa performing in Scottsdale, Arizona in May 2011
Background information
Birth name Margret Wander[1]
Also known as Dessa Darling
Born May 23, 1981[2]
Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
Origin Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Genres Alternative hip hop
Underground hip hop
Occupation(s) Rapper, singer, producer, writer
Years active 2005–present
Labels Doomtree
Associated acts Cecil Otter, P.O.S, Mike Mictlan, Sims, Paper Tiger, Lazerbeak, Gayngs, The Boy Sopranos
Website dessa.bandcamp.com

Margret Wander (born May 23, 1981), better known by her stage name Dessa, is a rapper, singer, spoken word artist, and writer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is a member of the indie hip hop collective Doomtree.

History

Education

Dessa went to Southwest High School, graduating from the IB Diploma Programme in 1999. She attended the University of Minnesota, where she earned a B.A. in philosophy.[3] Before becoming an artist full-time, she worked as a technical writer for a medical manufacturer.[4]

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.[5]

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.

She completed and released a book of creative non-fiction titled Spiral Bound at the fourth annual Doomtree Blowout in 2008.[6] In 2009, Dessa published Spiral Bound on Doomtree Press, a seventy-page collection of fiction and poetry.[7]

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." The album features production from Paper Tiger, MK Larada, Lazerbeak, Cecil Otter and Big Jess. MK Larada also designed the album art.[8]

In 2011, Dessa released Castor, the Twin.[9]

In 2013, Dessa released Parts of Speech. The singles from this album are "Warsaw" and "Call Off Your Ghost."

Side projects

Dessa is a founding member of The Boy Sopranos, an almost all-female a cappella group, with frequent collaborators Jessy Greene, Aby Wolf and others. She also taught at the Institute of Production and Recording and the McNally Smith College of Music.

On March 2, 2012, Dessa presented "Mic Lines: Art, Ethics, and their Contested Connections" at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as part of the three-day Nobel Peace Prize Forum .[10][11]

Dessa was the host of Twin Cities Public Television's The Lowertown Line, a live music series, from 2012 to 2014.[12]

Discography

Albums

EPs

with Doomtree

Guest appearances

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ "Students Get Schooled on Hip-Hop at Minn. College". The New York Times.
  2. ↑ Wander, Margret (May 23, 2013). "Good morning, world. Today is my birthday, ...". Facebook. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Making Music Series: Dessa on Coffman Memorial Union". University of Minnesota.
  4. ↑ "The Revolution Starts... Right After the Drinks". City Pages.
  5. ↑ "University of Minnesota, College of Liberal Arts, 2012 Spring Commencement: Keynote Address by Dessa". University of Minnesota, College of Liberal Arts.
  6. ↑ "Locks of Love – Dessa". HipHopDX.
  7. ↑ "Spiral Bound review". Culture Bully.
  8. ↑ "A Badly Broken Code". Doomtree Store.
  9. ↑ "Review: Dessa – Castor, the Twin (2011)". Mezzic. October 6, 2011.
  10. ↑ Mark (February 21, 2012). "Ethics and Hip Hop: A Discussion with Dessa – Tickets on sale NOW!". Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  11. ↑ "2012 Forum: "The Price of Peace"". Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  12. ↑ http://www.citypages.com/2012-12-26/music/mn-original-leaps-forward/full/

External links