Biography
Among the versatile talents affiliated with Doomtree, the Minneapolis hip-hop collective, Dessa has distinguished herself as a rapper, vocalist, author, and public speaker. After moving from poetry slam competitions into hip-hop, she issued her first full-length project, A Badly Broken Code, in 2010. Building an underground following, she entered the Billboard 200 for the first time in 2013 via her third album, Parts of Speech. Chime, her U.S. Top Three release, followed in 2018, and she delivered her sixth LP, Bury the Lede, in 2023.
Born Dessa Margret Wander in Minnesota and also known as Dessa Darling, she initially drew notice through poetry slams. She subsequently founded the ensemble Medida, which linked her to the local music circles that would establish her as a critical and popular favorite in the Twin Cities. While completing both a B.A. and an M.A. in philosophy at the University of Minnesota, Dessa carried her spoken-word poetry into Minneapolis venues, where encounters including one with MC Yoni guided her toward membership in Doomtree. After solidifying her standing as an MC within the crew, she put out the solo EP False Hopes in 2005; local outlets praised it extensively, placing it on multiple year-end lists and marking her as an emerging standout in the collective.
In the ensuing years she devoted considerable effort to Doomtree, contributing to numerous individual projects as well as the group’s joint releases. She became the first member to publish a book of writing, Spiral Bound, in 2009. Momentum continued when A Badly Broken Code received a national release in 2010; already generating anticipation beforehand, the album earned widespread critical praise and sold briskly in her hometown. Throughout the remainder of 2010, Dessa joined P.O.S.—likewise of Doomtree—on a 40-city tour supporting the record. She has taken part in various literary gatherings in the Twin Cities and collaborated with the all-female a cappella ensemble the Boy Sopranos. Parts of Speech arrived in 2013 and reached the Top 100 of the Billboard 200; the remix EP Parts of Speech, Re-Edited appeared the next year. In 2016 she supplied the track “Congratulations” to the chart-topping The Hamilton Mixtape. Her fourth album, Chime, surfaced in early 2018. Dessa’s subsequent endeavor was the distinctive live recording Sound the Bells, captured at Orchestra Hall with the Minnesota Orchestra providing accompaniment. She issued the EPs I Already Like You and Ides in 2021, then the singles “Blush” in 2022 and “Hurricane Party/Chopper” in 2023 before releasing her sixth full-length, Bury the Lede.
Born Dessa Margret Wander in Minnesota and also known as Dessa Darling, she initially drew notice through poetry slams. She subsequently founded the ensemble Medida, which linked her to the local music circles that would establish her as a critical and popular favorite in the Twin Cities. While completing both a B.A. and an M.A. in philosophy at the University of Minnesota, Dessa carried her spoken-word poetry into Minneapolis venues, where encounters including one with MC Yoni guided her toward membership in Doomtree. After solidifying her standing as an MC within the crew, she put out the solo EP False Hopes in 2005; local outlets praised it extensively, placing it on multiple year-end lists and marking her as an emerging standout in the collective.
In the ensuing years she devoted considerable effort to Doomtree, contributing to numerous individual projects as well as the group’s joint releases. She became the first member to publish a book of writing, Spiral Bound, in 2009. Momentum continued when A Badly Broken Code received a national release in 2010; already generating anticipation beforehand, the album earned widespread critical praise and sold briskly in her hometown. Throughout the remainder of 2010, Dessa joined P.O.S.—likewise of Doomtree—on a 40-city tour supporting the record. She has taken part in various literary gatherings in the Twin Cities and collaborated with the all-female a cappella ensemble the Boy Sopranos. Parts of Speech arrived in 2013 and reached the Top 100 of the Billboard 200; the remix EP Parts of Speech, Re-Edited appeared the next year. In 2016 she supplied the track “Congratulations” to the chart-topping The Hamilton Mixtape. Her fourth album, Chime, surfaced in early 2018. Dessa’s subsequent endeavor was the distinctive live recording Sound the Bells, captured at Orchestra Hall with the Minnesota Orchestra providing accompaniment. She issued the EPs I Already Like You and Ides in 2021, then the singles “Blush” in 2022 and “Hurricane Party/Chopper” in 2023 before releasing her sixth full-length, Bury the Lede.