Around the age of twelve, Despot began to hang out with a Brooklyn gang called the Lo-Lives,[6] most notable for wearing Polo Ralph Lauren clothing.
[8] Upon buying 6 Feet Deep, supergroup Gravediggaz' first album, Despot wore baggy pants and carried a Panasonic boom box around with him.
[5] He attended high school in Manhattan, where he and friend Yak Ballz (who was also signed to Definitive Jux) would frequent Footwork, the East Village record store owned by radio personality Bobbito García.
[citation needed] In 2001, Despot recorded the song "Cynical Bastards" with Lo-Deck on Atoms Family member Cryptic One's album Euphony.
[14] Despot met Ashok Kondabolu and Himanshu Suri, members of Das Racist, in 2008[15] and was featured on their 2010 mixtape Sit Down, Man, on the song "Rooftop".
[16] Despot featured on El-P's 2012 album Cancer 4 Cure[17] and Meyhem Lauren's Respect the Fly Shit, where he raps with Action Bronson on "Pan Seared Tilapia".
[18] In 2011, Despot appeared on the remix for Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire's "The Last Huzzah" alongside Das Racist, Danny Brown, and El-P,[19] which was called one of the best songs of 2011 by Rolling Stone.
[29] On January 1, 2014, Vampire Weekend released "Step (Wintertime Remix)", which included guest verses from Despot, Danny Brown, and Heems.