| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The A.V. Club | A−[1] |
| Robert Christgau | A−[2] |
| HipHopDX | 4/5[3] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes |   [4] |
A Badly Broken Code is the debut studio album by Dessa, a member of Minneapolis indie hip hop collective Doomtree. It was released by Doomtree Records in 2010.
The album title comes from a line in the poem "Nostalgia" by American poet Billy Collins.[5]
Reception
Jakob Dorof of Tiny Mix Tapes gave the album 4 stars out of 5, saying, "The result is likely one of the best hip-hop songs you'll hear this year, let alone from the rare type of MC that manages to be white, female, and supremely talented all in one."[4]
The A.V. Club listed it as the 20th best album of 2010.[6] In 2010, City Pages listed it as the "Best Local Album of the Past 12 Months".[7]
The track "The Bullpen" was frequently used as walk out music at rallies by Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar during her 2020 Democratic presidential primaries campaign.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Children's Work" | MK Larada | 3:12 |
| 2. | "Poor Atlas" | Dessa | 1:38 |
| 3. | "The Crow" | Lazerbeak | 3:38 |
| 4. | "Dixon's Girl" | MK Larada | 2:43 |
| 5. | "Mineshaft II" | Cecil Otter | 3:41 |
| 6. | "The Chaconne" (featuring Matthew Santos) | Paper Tiger | 4:42 |
| 7. | "Matches to Paper Dolls" | Big Jess | 3:31 |
| 8. | "Go Home" | Paper Tiger | 3:32 |
| 9. | "Seamstress" | MK Larada | 3:59 |
| 10. | "Dutch" | Lazerbeak | 3:20 |
| 11. | "The Bullpen" | Paper Tiger | 2:36 |
| 12. | "Momento Mori" | MK Larada, Dessa | 2:18 |
| 13. | "Crew" | Paper Tiger | 2:56 |
| 14. | "Alibi" | Paper Tiger | 3:03 |
| 15. | "Into the Spin" | Andrew 'Ronin' Lucas, Dessa | 2:35 |
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[8] | 13 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[9] | 48 |
| US Rap Albums (Billboard)[10] | 22 |
References
- ^ Koski, Genevieve (February 23, 2010). "Dessa: A Badly Broken Code". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Dessa". Robert Christgau. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
- ^ Tardio, Andres (February 1, 2010). "Dessa - A Badly Broken Code". HipHopDX. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
- ^ a b Dorof, Jakob. "Dessa - A Badly Broken Code". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
- ^ Walsh, Makena (March 29, 2011). "Breaking The Code: A Q&A With Indie Rap Songstress Dessa". The Creators Project. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
- ^ "The best music of 2010". The A.V. Club. December 8, 2010. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
- ^ "A Badly Broken Code by Dessa - Best Local Album of the Past 12 Months". City Pages. 2010. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
- ^ "Dessa - Chart history - Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
- ^ "Dessa - Chart history - Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
- ^ "Dessa - Chart history - Rap Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
External links
- A Badly Broken Code at Discogs (list of releases)
- "Dixon's Girl" on SoundCloud
