The first time I heard Desdamona I was at a hip hop show in Minneapolis. When she stepped up on the stage with her slightly tussled hair in two hair buns, sweet subtle smile and natural serene beauty, I would have never expected to hear what it is that flew off of her tongue. She showed strong lyrical talent in many different fashions and on various levels. It was almost like everything that lay dormant in my head but never would have dreamt of putting into a lyrical concoction came flowing out of her mouth. So when I heard her full-length debut album, “The Ledge” was out on the shelves, I was eager to find out if this poetic princess would impress me the way she did that night on stage.
Desdamona has many different explanations for what “The Ledge” means to her, which she took the time to write out in her album liner notes. So listeners may feel like they are given a glimpse of her thought process even before they actually listen to the album. Desdamona wastes no time grabbing the attention of true Hip Hop lovers with a creation spit a cappella called, “I Wanted To Be an MC”. This is a tribute to all the great M.C.’s who we grew up on when we initially embraced this culture as our own. With this heartfelt piece, Desdamona tells the story of an eager female struggling to establish herself as a viable entity in the vast biosphere that is Hip Hop. She intricately weaves the names of various well-known artists in such a fashion that you have no choice but to chuckle over. Indeed a great intro to her album.
Desdamona is provided the perfect platform for her mission to define herself as she chooses varying tempos of well-arranged, high-caliber production. I was most pleasantly moved by the “Don’t Listen 2 The Lyrics”. Produced by the infamous reggae pioneers, Sly & Robbie (also the producers of half the album), this track may throw you off because it starts off sounding like just another R. Kelly bootie shaking “Fiesta” beat. But instead of lyrics reflecting demeaning images and views of women like we would normally expect, it consists of the exact opposite. It tells the tales of how we as females always feel we fall short of the images that the media, mainstream radio and videos expects us to live up to. Like the lyrics go: “The mainstream seeps into subconscious/And slowly she feels worthless/like success might lie in a bikini on uncut BET…”
Onto a different vibe, “Swing Down” boasts the smooth laid back track with Desdemona’s crisp sultry voice, in which she sings the entire song. I have to say her singing is quite impressive, as this track gives the prolific Neo-soul reminiscent Goapele a run for her money! Desdamona shows a very intimate side of herself that we can all relate to.
I must say I was waiting for some real show off, back in the day, scratchin’ now and again on this album. Not to mention that I have a strong desire to hear her sing entire songs, in an attempt to master yet another angle of vocalization. Although Desdamona prides herself in being a spoken word extraordinaire, this album contains something to get your booty grooving or your mind a thinking. Whether you are into Spoken Word, Neo- Soul, Reggae, Hip Hop, or even R&B there is something here that will kick flava in your ear.
Desdemona recites lyrics on this album suggesting she has spent much of her life reading poetry, listening to old school jams & studying the rhymes of hip hop pioneers far and wide reflecting exactly who she is as an artist. She sets out to inform you of what esoteric thoughts her mind manufactures in a skillfully poetic manner, while maintaining a knack to entertain the listener. Mmmm…Mission accomplished.
Charli Marie
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