Despot (rapper)
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Alec Reinstein (born May 7, 1982), better known by his stage name Despot, is an American
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
artist from
Queens, New York City Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
. He was signed to rapper
El-P Jaime Stuart Meline (born March 2, 1975), better known by the stage name El-P (shortened from his previous stage name El Producto), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Starting his career as a member of Company Flow, he has ...
's label
Definitive Jux Definitive Jux was a record label based in New York City. It was co-founded in 1999 by El-P and Amaechi Uzoigwe. History Definitive Jux was initially known as Def Jux. However, popular hip hop label Def Jam Recordings sued Def Jux over the name ...
in 2004.Peter Madsen (September 15, 2009)
"Interview With Despot From Def Jux"
Street Carnage. Retrieved September 24, 2012
Despot has been a part of the New York
underground rap Underground hip hop (also known as underground rap or simply underground) traditionally refers to hip hop music that is outside the general mainstream canon or counter-cultural in nature, usually with a heavy emphasis on emotion, lyricism, and/or ...
scene for over a decade. Despot is associated with the
Smart Crew Smart Crew is a supergroup and art collective originating from Queens, NY, that was formed by SYCO13, MEY (Meyhem Lauren) and LUK in 1997. Throughout the years, the crew has acquired members and has become a collective of various artists includi ...
collective and was a co-owner of
Santos Party House Santos Party House was a New York City nightclub located at 96 Lafayette Street between Walker and White Streets in the TriBeCa neighborhood of downtown Manhattan. Originally named the "Lafayette Street Jungle Gym", Santos Party House was recogni ...
.


Early life and education

Despot grew up in the
Forest Hills Forest Hills or Forrest Hills may refer to: Places United States * Forest Hills (Tampa), Florida * Forest Hills, Illinois, a neighborhood in Western Springs * Forest Hills, Kentucky * Forest Hills, Boston, Massachusetts ** Forest Hills Cemetery ...
neighborhood of Queens.Luke Cage (October 23, 2007)
"The King of Queens"
Cool'eh Magazine. Retrieved September 23, 2012.
He became involved in hip-hop at an early age, claiming that its prevalence amongst kids in his neighborhood made him appreciate rap. Around the age of twelve, Despot began to hang out with a Brooklyn gang called the Lo-Lives, most notable for wearing
Polo Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren Corporation is an American public company, publicly traded fashion and lifestyle brand founded in 1967 by Ralph Lauren in New York City. The company markets products in apparel, home, accessories, and fragrances, and is most known ...
clothing. Despot identifies himself as hopelessly addicted to sneakers and Polo clothing.Urban Smarts Staff (December 9, 2004)
"Despot"
urbansmarts.com. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
Despot claims to have been more of a delinquent as a teenager because he constantly listened to
Mobb Deep Mobb Deep was an American Hip-hop, hip hop duo formed in Queens, New York (state), New York in 1990. Consisting of rappers/songwriters/record producers Prodigy (rapper), Prodigy and Havoc (musician), Havoc, they are considered to be among the pr ...
's ''
The Infamous ''The Infamous'' (stylized as ''The Infamous...'') is the second studio album by the American hip hop duo Mobb Deep, released on April 25, 1995, by BMG, RCA Records and Loud Records. The album features guest appearances by Nas, Raekwon, Gho ...
''. Upon buying ''
6 Feet Deep ''6 Feet Deep'' (also titled ''Niggamortis'' in some regions) is the debut album of the American hip hop supergroup Gravediggaz. Formed by former Tommy Boy Records artists Prince Paul, RZA, Frukwan and Poetic, the group utilized horror-themed ...
'', supergroup
Gravediggaz Gravediggaz were an American Hip hop music, hip hop group from New York. Known for their Black comedy, dark sense of humor and abrasive, menacing soundscapes, Gravediggaz blended hardcore hip hop and gangsta rap with horror elements to pioneer t ...
' first album, Despot wore baggy pants and carried a Panasonic
boom box A boombox is a transistorized portable music player featuring one or two cassette tape players/recorders and AM/FM radio, generally with a carrying handle. Beginning in the mid-1990s, a CD player was often included. Sound is delivered throu ...
around with him. He was given the nickname "Puff" because of his marijuana use. During his years in junior high school, Despot and his friends rapped over an instrumental tape of "Worldwide" by Royal Flush. Despot's friends told him he was the most talented of the group, and he began to write rhymes. He attended high school in
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
, where he and friend
Yak Ballz Yak Ballz, born Yashar Zadeh, is an American independent hip hop artist who was brought up in Flushing, Queens, New York. He is one of the original members of The Weathermen. He is also a member of Cardboard City. Since 2019 he has worked for ...
(who was also signed to Definitive Jux) would frequent Footwork, the East Village record store owned by radio personality
Bobbito García Robert "Bobbito" Garcia (born September 25, 1966), also known as DJ Cucumber Slice and Kool Bob Love, is an American DJ, radio host, author, and member of the Rock Steady Crew. He is known as a former co-host of hip hop radio show '' The Stret ...
. It was through Garcia that Despot would eventually meet El-P. After graduating high school Despot attended
SUNY Purchase The State University of New York at Purchase, commonly referred to as Purchase College or SUNY Purchase, is a Public college, public Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Purchase, New York. Established in 1967 by G ...
, but later dropped out "after realizing it was boring."Danny De Maio (April 17, 2012)
"Despot- New York"
. Bangstyle. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
Despot still went back to the school to organize its Culture Shock festival in 2004 and 2005, and he performed at the event in 2007.


Career

In 2001, Despot recorded the song "Cynical Bastards" with Lo-Deck on Atoms Family member Cryptic One's album ''Euphony''. The track garnered attention from El-P, who asked Despot to record for Definitive Jux. Despot released "Homesickness" as a single on
Def Jux Presents 3 ''Definitive Jux Presents III'' (alternatively ''Def Jux Presents 3'') is a 2004 compilation album released by American hip hop record label Definitive Jux. It peaked at number 22 on the ''Billboard'' Independent Albums chart. Track listing ...
in 2004. Following "Homesickness", Despot had his plans in making his album stalled, primarily because of his not spending time working on the album. He also believed a neurotic perfectionism prevented him from releasing songs more quickly. Despite never releasing the album, he released a number of songs during his time at Definitive Jux, including "Crap Artists" and "Look Alive", which was produced by
Ratatat Ratatat ( ) is a Brooklyn-based electronic rock duo consisting of Mike Stroud (guitar, melodica, synthesizers, percussion) and producer Evan Mast (bass, synthesizers, percussion). History Beginnings and first album, ''Ratatat'' (2001–2005 ...
. Despot toured with Ratatat in 2007, and his forthcoming album will feature their
production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...
. Despot claimed to have finished his first full-length album, a collaborative effort with Ratatat featuring songs from
Blockhead Blockhead(s) may refer to: Films * '' The Blockhead'', a 1921 German silent film * ''Block-Heads'', a 1938 film starring Laurel and Hardy * ''Blockhead'' (film), a 1966 Italian film Music * Blockhead (music producer) (born 1976), American hip ...
, as early as June 2008. The album was initially named ''Jerry'' (after his father) and then ''Hooray for Me'' before finally arriving at ''We're All Excited''. The first single was released July 13, 2015, titled "House of Bricks", despite being performed live regularly since 2012. On July 22, 2015, Despot released a music video for "House of Bricks", directed by Ratatat's
E*vax Evan Peter Mast, also known by his stage name E*vax or E.VAX, is an American EDM record producer and DJ. He is one-half of the New York–based electronic rock band Ratatat, alongside Mike Stroud. Career Mast met his Ratatat bandmate Mike Stro ...
.


Collaborations

Despot met
Ashok Kondabolu Ashok Kumar Kondabolu (born 1985), also known by his stage name Dapwell (or Dap), is an American actor, writer, and internet personality. A graduate of Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, Kondabolu was first known for being a member of the influe ...
and
Himanshu Suri Himanshu Kumar Suri (born July 6, 1985), better known by his stage name Heems, is an American rapping, rapper. Suri came to prominence as a member of the alternative hip hop group Das Racist, with whom he released two mixtapes and one album. Sur ...
, members of
Das Racist Das Racist was an American alternative hip hop group based in Brooklyn, composed of MCs Heems and Kool A.D. and hype man Ashok Kondabolu (a.k.a. Dapwell or Dap). Known for their use of humor, academic references, foreign allusions, and unconv ...
, in 2008 and was featured on their 2010 mixtape ''
Sit Down, Man ''Sit Down, Man'' is the second mixtape by American hip hop trio Das Racist. It was released as a free download by Greedhead Music, Mishka, and Mad Decent on September 14, 2010. It gained over 40,000 downloads in its first week of release. An a ...
'', on the song "Rooftop". Despot featured on El-P's 2012 album ''
Cancer 4 Cure ''Cancer 4 Cure'' is the third solo studio album by American rapper and producer El-P. It was released through Fat Possum Records on May 22, 2012. It peaked at No. 71 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Background The album is dedicated to El-P's ...
'' and Meyhem Lauren's ''Respect the Fly Shit'', where he raps with
Action Bronson Ariyan Arslani (born December 2, 1983), professionally known as Action Bronson, is an American rapper and television presenter. Born and raised in Queens, he released his debut mixtape ''Bon Appetit ..... Bitch!!!!!'' in January 2011 and indepe ...
on "Pan Seared Tilapia". In 2011, Despot appeared on the remix for Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire's "The Last Huzzah" alongside Das Racist,
Danny Brown Daniel Dewan Sewell (born March 16, 1981), better known as Danny Brown, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. He was described by MTV in 2011 as "one of rap's most unique figures in recent memory". After amassing ...
, and
El-P Jaime Stuart Meline (born March 2, 1975), better known by the stage name El-P (shortened from his previous stage name El Producto), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Starting his career as a member of Company Flow, he has ...
, which was called one of the best songs of 2011 by ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
''. He opened for Das Racist on their Relax Tour in 2011 as well as El-P and
Killer Mike Michael Santiago Render (born April 20, 1975), better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, singer and activist. He made his recording debut on Outkast's fourth album ''Stankonia'' (2000), and guest appeared on the duo's Gr ...
's 2012 Into the Wild Tour. He was also featured on Das Racist's 2011 album ''
Relax Relax or RELAX may refer to: Albums * ''Relax'' (album), by Das Racist, 2011 * ''Relax'', by Blank & Jones, 2003 * ''Relax'', by Los Piratas, 2003 Songs * "Relax" (Deetah song), 1998 * "Relax" (Frankie Goes to Hollywood song), 1983 * "Relax ...
'' on the song "Power" alongside Danny Brown. Despot appeared alongside Heems in
Lakutis Aleksey Weintraub (born July 15, 1985), better known by his stage name Lakutis, is an American rapper from New York. He has collaborated with Das Racist, Hot Sugar, and Kitty. He has also toured with Le1f and Antwon. Early life Lakutis was bo ...
's 2013 video "Too Ill for the Law". On June 3, 2013, he was featured in
Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend are an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 2006 and currently signed to Columbia Records. The band was formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, drummer Chr ...
's "
Diane Young "Diane Young" is a song by American indie rock band Vampire Weekend, taken from their third studio album '' Modern Vampires of the City''. It was released as the lead single from the album on March 19, 2013. A promotional video of the single, whic ...
" music video. In the same year, he was featured on Fat Tony's "Hood Party" off of the '' Smart Ass Black Boy'' album along with
Kool A.D. Victor Vazquez (born November 16, 1983), also known by his stage name Kool A.D., is an American rapper, record producer, author, and artist. He is from the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Vazquez is best known for being a member of the New ...
In November 2013, he appeared on
Blood Orange The blood orange is a variety of orange (fruit), orange with crimson, near blood-colored flesh. It is one of the sweet orange varieties (Citrus × sinensis, ''Citrus'' × ''sinensis''). It is also known as the raspberry orange. The dark flesh ...
's album ''
Cupid Deluxe ''Cupid Deluxe'' is the second album by Dev Hynes as Blood Orange, and is the follow-up to 2011's '' Coastal Grooves''. The album was released on 18 November 2013 in the UK, and was available worldwide a week earlier on iTunes on 12 November 20 ...
'' on the song "Clipped On". On January 1, 2014,
Vampire Weekend Vampire Weekend are an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 2006 and currently signed to Columbia Records. The band was formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, drummer Chr ...
released "Step (Wintertime Remix)", which included guest verses from Despot,
Danny Brown Daniel Dewan Sewell (born March 16, 1981), better known as Danny Brown, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. He was described by MTV in 2011 as "one of rap's most unique figures in recent memory". After amassing ...
, and
Heems Himanshu Kumar Suri (born July 6, 1985), better known by his stage name Heems, is an American rapper. Suri came to prominence as a member of the alternative hip hop group Das Racist, with whom he released two mixtapes and one album. Suri has ...
. On December 15, 2014,
iLoveMakonnen Makonnen Kamali Sheran (born April 12, 1989), better known by his stage name iLoveMakonnen (often stylized as ILOVEMAKONNEN), is an American rapper and singer. He is best known for his 2014 single " Tuesday", which initially gained recognition ...
released "Down 4 So Long (Remix)", which featured Despot and
Ezra Koenig Ezra Michael Koenig ( ; born April 8, 1984) is an American musician, record producer, and radio personality. He is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of indie rock band Vampire Weekend. Additionally, Koenig is the creator of the ...
. In 2016, Despot continued his history of collaboration with El-P outside of the musical space, partnering with him and
Holy Ghost! Holy Ghost! were an American synthpop duo from Brooklyn, New York City. Founded in 2007, the duo consisted of Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel. History Millhiser and Frankel both grew up on the Upper West Side of New York City and attended Trev ...
's Alex Frankel to start a
Jewish deli A Jewish deli, also known as a Jewish delicatessen, is a store that serves various traditional dishes of Jewish cuisine, mostly Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. Known for their robust sandwiches, such as pastrami on rye and Reuben sandwiches, they also ...
in
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
's Greenpoint neighborhood.


Discography


Studio album


Singles


As lead artist


Guest appearances


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Despot 1982 births Living people Definitive Jux artists People from Forest Hills, Queens Rappers from Queens, New York 21st-century American rappers Jewish rappers