Music
Get the lowdown on singer-songwriter Desta Dawn, who appears in episode two of the second season of The Cut in a collaboration with producer Ramii.
Desta Dawn
Desta Dawn is a rising R 'n' B singer from Oakland, California. She's been singing her whole life – at the age of four in her kindergarten class she began teaching herself how to read books by singing each word she would sound out, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Known as 'the singer' in her community, Dawn has sung at weddings, funerals, party events and all sorts of talent competitions. Her influences range from artists like India Arie, Musiq Soulchild, Erykah Badu, Eric Bennet, Jill Scott and Floetry, as well as Bay Area local legends Tony! Toni! Tone! and Goapele.
Dawn is also deeply influenced by her Ethiopian heritage, adding another dimension to her soulful musical style. At 18 she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her singing career while attending a performing arts university. It was there that she really began to dig deeper into her craft, developing a sound and writing style which has a more throwback 90s/early 2000s R 'n' B feel to it. Like many of the artists she's influenced by, Dawn writes songs that reflect her personal experiences. Whether it’s about the heartbreak she endures, her journey to embracing her femininity or finding her strength in her blackness, it's these moments that have allowed her to grow as an artist in a very short space of time.
Her writing style combines her strong views about female empowerment, cultural influences from her native country, and both a vulnerability and a quiet strength that gives the listener a view into her soul. Desta Dawn is soulful, honest and dedicated to her craft, focused on bringing her sound to a wider audience.
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Ramii
Ramii is a music producer born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Producing music since 2006, he moved to Los Angeles in 2013 to pursue his career.
Ramii started his career producing primarily for Cleveland-based artists Chip the Ripper and Machine Gun Kelly and continues to work with these artists to this day. Expanding his collaborations, Ramii has also produced for artists such as Kid Cudi and Big Sean, to name a few. Now 32 years old, he can be found developing new up-and-coming artists and releasing his own music.