Despot, also known as Ray Goetz, is a hip hop rapper signed to New York City based Def Jux Records.

Despot makes his home in Riner, Virginia, after leaving Rutgers University, where he dropped out.

(taken from www.definitivejux.net)

Despot was one of the greatest military commanders in history. He has also been portrayed as a power hungry conqueror. Despot denied being such a conqueror. He argued that he was building a federation of free peoples in a Europe united under a liberal government. But if this was his goal, he intended to achieve it by taking power in his own hands. However, in the states he created, Despot granted constitutions, introduced law codes, abolished feudalism, created efficient governments and fostered education, science, literature and the arts.

Upon discovering how small their son would probably be for the rest of his life, his parents decided he would live in the kitchen. This small kitchen in a Queens apartment building would house the fledgling rapper for the entire 23 years leading up to the present. After years of enduring the ridicule that came with leaving his house bathed in the stench of whatever was for dinner that night, a young Despot, at about 12 years of age, decided he would make his mark. Of course this mark is being made very slowly, but please do not mistake sloth for an attempt at perfection.

During what can be seen as a very successful scholastic career of standing on various corners and hurting people, Despot sought a creative outlet and found it in the small rapping nooks of New York City. After recording a handful of songs with junior high school friends on a built-in radio mic, the decision was made to venture outside of the neighborhood with this newly discovered talent. Making appearances at various open mics in the mid to late 90’s, during what seems to have been a renaissance period in New York City’s hip hop scene, he would make the friendships that would later make him even more unfriendly. The first official show brought a very young Despot to the stage alongside some very well respected hip-hop veterans at the now defunct Tramp’s. Stepping on stage after the Rza and performing two songs over other people’s instrumentals gave him the confidence he needed to not do a show again for a couple of years.

A year or so later, after several recorded performances that will never be spoken of, Despot made perhaps his first noted appearance on the CP Records compilation entitled, “Euphony.” The song, “Cynical Bastards”, produced by Cryptic One of Atoms Family, featuring LoDeck, was an anthem of love and understanding of our fellow man; a song which made the whole world smile. This song would earn Despot a place in the nearly deaf ears of the world’s rap fans. Not very long after his Euphony appearance, he began feverishly recording horrible songs that nobody liked. Eventually, during his stay at the miserable brick fortress of a corporate lawyer (college), he penned the song “Homesickness,” which he would later pass on to his dear friend EL-P to be released as a single on Definitive Jux Records and featured on Definitive Jux Presents Volume 3. This song was not about being homesick, but rather about being sick of home; what a silly way to talk.

Quite a few years before all of this, Despot had met Blockhead (of international rap fame) through their mutual friend LoDeck. Who knew that this meeting would turn into years of beat tapes, beat CD’s, and beat file transfers. After spending a few years telling Blockhead how much he liked certain beats and didn’t like others, but never actually rapping on any of them, the b-side to Homesickness, “Life With Snarky Parker,” was recorded. It was with this track that a partnership was cemented and the sound of brows furrowing around the world could be heard for miles. This marked the first step into the brave new world of making rap albums.

With the work ethic of a hairbrush and the wit of a new sock, Despot and Blockhead have been working on a debut full length since Despot began to lose his hair. Blockhead will handle the majority of the production on this album with some dear friends stepping in to make whatever sounds we have not made yet. All parties involved stand very solidly behind the claim that this album will make every possible noise.

A loyal and upstanding member of the infamous Lo-Lifes crew, Despot salutes all of those who are winning and adheres to a very strictly regimented dress code. The heinous street exploits of Despot both young and old are only to be spoken of posthumously. To date, his most notable achievement is that he has never died while he was alive. Soon you will all hear far more noises than you can bear to hear.