Customer Reviews

A Badly Broken Code [Explicit]

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dessa(Darling) from Doomtree is not your average Female MC/Singer/Poet, although on paper it would seem like she sounds like every A typical woman releasing music in the hip-hop world today. As a member of the midwest power house crew DOOMTREE, Dessa stands out amongst carasmatic crew members like POS, Mike Mictlan and Cecil Otter, and not just because shes the sole female of the bunch. Aggresive, yet calculated and controled, Dessa made her power and pressence known on crew releases (False Hopes 12 "Flex", Doomtree official group album "the wren", "dots & dashes", and from POS's Never Better "Low life, low lights"). Now with her official debut solo album "A Badly Broken Code" finally out, Dessa is ready to really make her pressence felt, seen and heard. Doomtree out did themselves in the packaging (MK LARADA did the layout) and the production is flawless thanks to a bulk of the work done by Paper Tiger and MK Larada, with help from Lazerbeak, Big Jess and Dessa herself. The record starts out with a peek into Dessas life growing up as "Childrens Work" is deep and thoughtfull, yet haunting as dessa recalls her mother worrying about "...what she did, to raise such a serious kid". Nothing is purposeless or without meaning when Dessa does it, as every nuance and lyric is heavy with thought, love, pain,hurt and introspection. With stand out tracks like "Seamstress", "Matches to paper dolls" and the favorite "The Chaconne" which features Matthew Santos (known for Lupe Fiascos "Superstar"). "The Chaconne" is beatifully haunting and hypnotizing, and deserves every bit of praise it is getting. The year is new and fresh, but after this release, The year belongs to Dessa and Doomtree. If you dont have it, get it at [...], and while your there pick up everything else they've ever put out if you dont have it. Wings&Teeth.

I didn't even know this was classified as hip hop--I heard Children's Work on the radio and thought, "I have to get that." Ordered it having only heard that one song, and I love the whole thing. She reminds me of Ani a bit, so if you like Ani you would probably like this. Try it even if you aren't sure you'd like hip hop!

Doomtree deserves your respect, although they will never ask you for it. They will earn it kindly. In 2009 P.O.S exploded and now Dessa has followed with a triumphant release worth attention. As a crew Doomtree offers something for all and Dessa is the most accessible and arguably the most talented member which is why people who know about Doomtree have been excited for this record for a long time. Give it a listen and get hooked. Support your local artists!

I am actually more of a hard rock sort of gal, and really I don't tend to follow hip-hop as a genre. Her album was given to me by someone who was convinced I'd love it. And they were right. Every single song is fantastic. Some of the slower ones took a couple listens to digest, but I appreciate that it did. If I had to sum up her music in one word, it would be "Smart". Every word was clearly chosen to have punch and meaning, there's no fluff, and it was so refreshing to hear something off the radio with as much substance as Dessa has. She explores family, friends, people, and the state of hip-hop. Her lyrics are exceptional. Beyond that, the music is catchy, pleasing to the ears, and nourishing to the mind. She is now one of my favorite artists.

After digesting everything I've heard that came out in 2010 this stands apart; a fantastic album start to finish with a variety of moods, a fantastic instrumental presence, and one of finest lyrical albums I've ever heard.

Simply put, Doomtree has some of the most talented people you have never heard of and Dessa is no exception. Dessa has put out an album that is deeply personal and fierce, both a headbanger and a sound you can sway to. 'A Badly Broken Code' starts off a little slow, seemingly starting deep within Dessa's psyche. We are serenaded with childhood memories and thoughts of ex lovers. As the album picks up, Dessa's humor, rhyme skills, and penchant for metaphors begins to shine through like a star sitting on a lightbulb or something. (Probably should have just cribbed one of her similes there).

If you want to listen to an album full of talent from a member of one of the most slept on groups out there, give this one a shot.

Dessa is the sort of class act that gets better with every listen. Not only erudite, but also full of wit and respect for the listener's intelligence. Dessa sings about the woman who doesn't want a married man she likes to cheat on his wife with her, the woman who sees a relationship with an abused woman with hidden strengths, and two children who know more than their parents about true maturity.

That being said, the prices listed above for the CD ($43?!?) are terrible, and other avenues do exist. Go use Google.

I remember in another review, which I cant remember whether it was on this site or not, someone said "Dessa is like a rap version of Sade." While I don't think she reaches Sade's, level of skill in a lot of ways and the comparison fails on that level, I still think its a good one in generally describing the appeal of Dessa and her music.

Dessa has a smooth and sweet sound that still has a sort of rough side to it. She isn't the most talented female MC on a technical level, but her music isn't about heavy and fast raps, its about relaxing and getting mildly introspective while trying to be entertaining in a sweet and sassy way. That somewhat underscores what shes trying to do, but I think it is generally true about her vocal talents, instrumentals and the image she tries to cultivate on her album and music videos.

Lyrically like I said before, this is mostly introspective raps, sometimes praising herself, sometimes not, it is mostly stories about her life and the people she knows. That isn't always the case, at least half the songs are just general raps about a mismatch of topics, but the main theme of this album seems to be Dessa and her life even in those tracks that aren't strictly introspective. Her life is interesting and the lyrics are well written given what she is trying to accomplish. Her rhyme schemes are more about flowing as nicely as possible and less about being complex or giving punchlines. She wants things to go down smooth and generally her vocals and lyrics accomplish that.

The beats and production also have a nice sound. Sometimes jazzy and or piano heavy. She relies more on instrumental sampling than other rappers do and it works really well. I think the production is probably the strongest aspect of this album, but not by a wide margin or anything. The instrumentals just come off really well.

A nice album to listen to if your main aim is to listen to rap and relax with it. Nothing too heavy, a generally pleasant experience with only a few minor problems here and there that aren't worth mentioning, but still keep me from thinking of Dessa as excellent at this point. I would recommend.

...but this is truly a fantastic album. Dessa breaks away from any indication of normality in her vocals and instrumentation, and speaks in raw lyrics. In the true Minnesotan style, she has broken away from what we know as Hip-Hop, folk, or any other sub-category she might dabble in, and is creating a brand new sound that will doubtless be copied by numerous artists to come.

This is the most raw. To duplicate would be an abomination, but that will doubtless be seen within the year. Can't wait to see what she brings next...

This is without a doubt one of my favorite albums of the past year - doesn't quite fit any genre, but the songs consistently combine clarity, wit, and an emotional punch that flows from the strong underlying storytelling. Excellent.