Dessa was once known as one Margret Wander, a philosophy major and technical writer from Minneapolis. But after joining the campus slam poetry team, Wander evolved into hip-hop diva Dessa and quickly gained the attention of her hometown's music collective known as Doomtree. Of course, it didn't hurt that Dessa's boyfriend was Doomtree's founder and ranking artist Stefon Alexander, aka P.O.S. Although no longer a couple, the pair is currently on tour together, and, along with Astronautalis, they'll stop by Hailey's tonight for a gig in Denton.
Dessa's recently issued, full-length debut, A Badly Broken Code, is the reason for her appearance tonight and it's an impressive collection of inventive hip-hop. Using unusual instrumentation (sampled strings and clarinets) to set the beats, Dessa raps with uncommon tact as she actually sings rather than shouts.
Speaking from a tour stop in Los Vegas, Dessa let us in on her imaginative mind.
Who gets to call you Margret these days?
I have one uncle who calls me Margret. My last name is Wander and the word "dessa" means "wander" in Greek. Of course, I didn't know that until after I choose the stage name.
How many other hip-hop artists have a college degree in philosophy?
I might be one of the few. Every so often, I find out th
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