Named after the leader of a slave revolt that took place in Charleston, South Carolina in the 1820s, Denmark Vessey is a hip-hop artist from Detroit. Combining raw, truthful lyrics with booming golden age-era production, he formed Crown Nation with Quelle Chris. The duo moved to Chicago in 2008, but they kept strong ties to the Detroit hip-hop scene, working with notable artists such as House Shoes, Danny Brown, and Slum Village. Vessey began releasing solo mixtapes in 2012, and he collaborated with Scud One for the 2013 full-length Cult Classic on Dirty Science. Following his 2015 instrumental release The Gift, Vol. 9, he teamed up with Gensu Dean for the 2016 full-length Whole Food on Mello Music Group. ~ Paul Simpson