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Musician Dessa on balancing the needs of body, art and business

Oct 8, 2024
The singer, songwriter and author discusses creativity and the "double bottom line" that rewards artists but makes them vulnerable.
Dessa in performance. "There is a constant tension that becomes more pronounced the longer you stay in the game," she said. "Like, what’s good for the art versus what’s good for the artist."
Al Pereira/Getty Images

Biden: Yellen needs a “Hamilton” musical. Dessa: Here you go.

Jan 21, 2021
We asked indie rapper and "Hamilton Mixtape" contributor Dessa to write a song about the first woman poised to be treasury secretary. Listen here.
"She’s 5-foot nothing, but hand to God, she can pop a collar, she can rock a power bob."
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Musician-writer Dessa on what happens when artists' gigs go away

Mar 30, 2020
"What are we supposed to do when we've got to stay apart?" said musician and writer Dessa.
“I think we are gonna have this big boom of art in the next few months as people are hunkering down over their keyboards,” Dessa says.
Sara Fish

Rapper Dessa on hard truths about life as a touring artist

Sep 18, 2018
"I have earned the dark circles this year," she says.
Dessa is a touring musician and a member of the Minneapolis based hip-hop collective Doomtree.
Chad Kamenshine/Courtesy of Dessa Wander