Minneapolis' own Dessa has landed on one of the buzziest albums of the year, Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton Mixtape."
The album, whose track list and artists were revealed on Thursday, includes covers and remixes of tunes from the Broadway smash by Chance the Rapper, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Usher, Busta Rhymes, Sia, the Roots, Ja Rule, Kelly Clarkson, Ashanti and more.
"I'm trying to play it cool but I'm stoked," the rapper/singer said. "Today is the day I get to feel fancy and my phone is exploding."
Dessa, a member of acclaimed hip-hop collective Doomtree, added that she was pessimistic about everything coming together until she saw the announcement Thursday morning.
Her contribution is "Congratulations," reportedly a deleted-scenes number that Angelica, Hamilton's sister-in-law (and soul mate), sings after he cheats on her sister.
After getting the call to be a part of the project, Dessa recorded the song with the help of some Minneapolis musicians. The album, set for release Dec. 2, will be available for pre-order on Friday.
And has Dessa seen the show, which has yet to announce a stop in Minneapolis? Yep, and it was an emotional experience: "I ended up crying into my sweater the entire second half."
(Photo by Matt Blewett for Star Tribune)
Aimee Blanchette contributed to this blog.
