Joe Biden suggested Lin Manuel Miranda write a musical for the first female Secretary of the Treasury, Janet Yellen. Uber-talented Dessa helped jumpstart the project with "Who's Yellen Now?"
January 24, 2021

This is just the coolest. Marketplace heard Joe Biden's request for a Janet Yellen tribute, and reached out to Dessa, who was on the Hamilton Mixtape, and is a member of Doomtree (a hiphop collective) to give a bump to the effort. She was all in immediately, and the result is so much damn fun.

From Marketplace:

Dessa told “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal that she spent a lot of time watching old speeches and flipping through photographs of Janet Yellen while writing the song.

“I read a lot about her to make sure that she was somebody who I’d like to send up,” Dessa said. “And it was really exciting to become a fan of Janet Yellen.”

I highly recommend listening to the entire 8 minute Marketplace segment with Dessa and interviewer Kai Rysdall, but if you only have 90 seconds, here are the Spotify and other streaming links, and the lyrics. Enjoy!


"WHO'S YELLEN NOW?"
Vocals and Lyrics by Dessa
Production by Lazerbeak and Andy Thompson

HOOK
Oooo, who’s Yellen now?
Who’s Yellen, who’s Yellen now?

VERSE 1
Doves on the left
Hawks on the right
Crosstalk in the flock tryna fight mid-flight
But here comes Yellen with that inside voice
Never mind the mild manner, policies make noise
She’s 5-foot nothing, but hand to God
She can pop a collar, she can rock a power bob
Bay Ridge represent!
Brooklyn’s in the cabinet!
Damn, Janet, go and get it —
Fifth in line for president!
She knows the kinda stimulus it takes to pass a buck
I heard she called the housing crisis
She’s qualified as ffff —
It only took a couple centuries
The first female secretary of the treasury

BRIDGE
Don’t want no tax evasion
Forgers faking
In her treasury
Trying for higher wages
For the nation
Less disparity

VERSE 2
Watch your step, there's busted glass
Janet broke another ceiling
You can bet your brass
That the Lego guy is leaving
Last check to cash
— 'Scuse me, Janet has a briefing and a flight to catch
And Janet
She’s the first that’s led
The Council of Economic Advisers, Tresh and the Fed,
She needs a three-sided coin that always comes up heads
To put the triple crown down when she goes to bed
Call the decorators
New boss in the office
Spenders and the savers
Watch the confirmation process
We got to meet her
Now let’s let her settle in
And lift up your mojitos —
'Cause she manages the mint

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