Press Play: Desdamona

Desdamona is a name that is usually associated with the leading lady of the Shakespeare play Othello. Unlike the character from Shakespeare hip/hop artist Desdamona combats the negative and underlying implications of Shakespeare.

In the play the female character is portrayed as a naïve, and vulnerable  woman who endures  a domestic abuse relationship. The music artist Desdamona is a far cry from the well-known Shakespeare character. Desdamona is a feminist hip hop artist.  Her newest album No Man’s Land is an album that features all female artists. It takes on the form of a musical nursery rhyme that only includes female characters.  The idea was to create an album that changed the narrative of hip hop music in order to demonstrate what it would be like for women to be the dominant voice.

It is important to provide some background on Desdamona because who she is and what stands for is conveyed through her sound. She is more than a music artist. Desdamona is an advocate. She is a teacher who has worked in over 200 schools in the Midwest and guided over 10,000 students teaching students about writing.  Desdamona has volunteered with a number of prisons and juvenile facilities to work with budding artist with little to no sunlight to grow.  She is an example of someone who doesn’t just talk about advocacy, but dedicates her life to using her music to be an advocate. She is the co-founder of the B Girl Be which is the first international festival to celebrate women in hip-hop.

No Man’s Land is her testament to standing by her values and practicing what she preaches. She wants dispel the notion that women cannot collaborate due to their sensitivity, jealousy and cattiness. No Man’s Land debunks the narrative of the patriarchal system that women disallows women to connect with one another. It is an album that does more than preach  the need for women to come together to uplift one another, but instead uses itself as an example that this can and needs to be done. Be sure press play on Desdamona and check out No Man’s Land.