


Desdemona
Desdamona came onto the Minneapolis scene in 1997 and wasn't the first female MC to grab the mic but she paved the way for female MC's in the Twin Cities and was the first female MC known for not only rockin' mics but as a promoter, community organizer & teaching artist. In 1999, she co-founded The Encyclopedia of Hip Hop Evolution. The event transformed into a workshop/performance series & ran from 99-05 & helped to birth B-Girl Be. In 2005, she co-founded B-Girl Be, a celebration of women in Hip Hop, hosting women from around the world in the elements of Hip Hop for a festival in Minneapolis (2005-07, 2009-10).
Des has toured the US & abroad and has recorded/collaborated w/ Grammy Award Winners, Sly & Robbie (Jamaica). She is featured on Europe based, Ursus Minor's latest album and has spent the past 3 years touring France with the group as well as releasing the ill chemistry self-titled disc with Carnage the Executioner on Hope Street/Nato Records. In April 2013, French producer BeO released "All One" featuring a song by Desdamona, "Life". Des has shared the stage with the likes of Saul Williams, Brother Ali, KRS One, Guru, Bahamdia, Ursula Rucker to name a few.
Recently, Des was in Treignac, France to be a part of a project called Chronicles of the Resistance, speaking to the French Resistance during WWII. Desdamona wrote 2 original pieces for the production, backed by music as part of the Kind of Belou Fest.
Des has worked in over 300 schools throughout the Midwest and France and has lead workshops and residencies in Shakopee Women's Prison, Stillwater Prison, Oakpark Prison , Red Wing Juvenile Facility, the Juvenile Detention Center, Minneapolis and Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen, WA.