Dessa

Dessa is a rapper, songwriter, essayist, and a proud member of the Minneapolis Doomtree collective. The Utne Reader calls her, “A one-woman powerhouse…with a literary sensibility and an aversion to genre clichés.” Her most recent album, Parts of Speech, debuted at #76 on the Billboard charts.

Dessa has performed at nightclubs, theaters, and festivals across North America including Lollapalooza, the Montreal Jazz Fest, and annual appearances at South by Southwest. On stage she’s wry, ferocious, and earnest in turn; her performative charisma has earned praise from critics throughout the US and in Europe. As a speaker, she’s lectured at colleges and universities throughout the Midwest, including a keynote presentation for the Nobel Peace Prize Forum.

As a lyricist, Dessa relies on a dark, fertile imagination and a writerly technique. Her striking images and miniature narratives have evoked comparisons to Tom Waits, Fiona Apple, and Mos Def. Dessa partnered with composer Jocelyn Hagen to co-write her first classical composition, “Controlled Burn.” She has also worked with musician Andy Thompson and VocalEssence to debut her first choral project, “The Good Fight.”

Dessa is represented by the Frances Goldin agency as a writer and by United Talent Agency as a performing musician. (Photo by Sam Gehrke)