Rapper and poet Dessa joined me over the phone for Composer Quest Episode 21, in the midst of her nationwide tour (SXSW, New Orleans, Nashville, etc.). I was honored to talk with Dessa about her creative process of writing and arranging hip hop songs. In this episode, we get a glimpse behind the scenes of Castor, the Twin, which features more tender jazz arrangements of her original beat-based songs produced by the Doomtree crew.

[audio:https://charliemccarron.com/mediaftp/composerquest/composer-quest-021-dessa.mp3]

Right click to download Ep. 21, or open in iTunes.

Episode Soundtrack

For more of Dessa’s music, visit doomtree.net/dessa. You should also say hi to her on Facebook and Twitter.

• 0:00 – “Dixon’s Girl” – Dessa (A Badly Broken Code, 2010)
• 1:12 – “Pizz Hocket” – Mary Ellen Childs (Dream House, 2007)
• 1:29 – “Operating Room” – Foxes in Fiction (Swung From The Branches, 2010)
• 1:49 – “Alibi” – Dessa (Castor, the Twin, 2011)
• 6:35 – “551” – Dessa (False Hopes, 2005)
• 6:38 – “551” – Dessa (Castor, the Twin, 2011)
• 16:42 – “The Bullpen” – Dessa (A Badly Broken Code, 2010)
• 19:12 – “Mineshaft 2” – Dessa (Castor, the Twin, 2011)
• 20:56 – “The Beekeeper” – Dessa (Castor, the Twin, 2011)
• 24:06 – “Dixon’s Girl” – Dessa (Castor, the Twin, 2011)

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