Doomtree rapper/singer/spoken word artist Dessa has announced a Midwest/East Coast tour dubbed the "Early Words Tour" which will kick off in late April and continue into mid-May. The tour hits NYC three times, including shows on May 1 at Mercury Lounge, May 8 at Union Hall, and on May 13 at new performing arts space SubCulture (45 Bleecker St), which opens this spring. No other acts for any of those shows have been announced at the moment, but "special guests" are billed for the Union Hall show. Tickets for the Mercury Lounge show, the Union Hall show, and the SubCulture show go on sale today (3/29) at noon.

All dates are listed, along with the tour flyer, and a stream of "Matches To Paper Dolls," a recently released b-side from the Castor, the Twin sessions, below...

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GZA at MHoW, June 2012 (more by Ryan Barkan)

GZA has always been one to think outside of the box. From his pairing with Grupo Fantasma to his on-stage collaborations with Black Lips and on and on, dude is not afraid of branching outside of the traditional comfort zone for an MC.

That said, it is still somewhat of a surprise to see him team with the cello-driven Rasputina, blues/jazz guitarist Robben Ford, Doomtree-affiliated MC Dessa and the Mediterreannan stylings of Pavlo for a show at Stage 48 (605 w.48th St) in Manhattan on January 12. Tickets are on sale for this mindblowingly diverse lineup.

In Wu-related news, a reminder for those obsessed with the kung-fu aesthetic of Wu-Tang: RZA's new film The Man with The Iron Fist is in theaters now.