A Badly Broken Code

A Badly Broken Code is the long-awaited full-length album from Dessa. The disc features production from Paper Tiger, Lazerbeak, Cecil Otter, MK Larada, and Big Jess. The fifteen songs emphasize Dessa’s wingspan as a singer, rapper, and lyricist—the tracks range from melancholy a cappella arrangements to vintage torch songs to infectious rap cuts.

The fact that Dessa name-checks the Minneapolis edition of the Chicago Manual Of Style on the track “Dutch” speaks to two important facets of her debut album, A Badly Broken Code: 1) It slots in nicely with the flourishing Twin Cities mode of hip-hop characterized by the Rhymesayers and Doomtree collectives. (Dessa is…