Denace (sometimes using the stagename Nasty), Dennis Maniatakis, is an up and coming rapper. Born May 1, 1985, he got into rap at an early age and his passion for music has stuck with him ever since. Dennis’s love for hip-hop led him to write his first verse in 1997.

In 1999, Dennis started rapping under the name “Nasty Criminal” because violent imagery abounded in his earlier work. He’d cover “nasty” subjects primarily targeted at fans who enjoyed the twisted, demented, and criminal topics. Not long after, he shortened his name to Nasty. In 2005, Dennis moved in with some relatives in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Not wasting any time, he recorded two separate albums that year: “The Reserection” and “What’s Mah Name?”, spawning classic Nasty hits like “Never Leave Me” and “The Industry (Off Me).”

Expanding beyond just “nasty” topics, Dennis started rapping under the name “Denace” (an amalgamation of Dennis and menace). He made a few appearances on national Greek television, the first of which featured him performing his hit single, “Tired of Being Broke” in 2007. Denace’s televised performances coupled with Internet promotion greatly increased his popularity.

Denace has never been far from controversy. Comments have been posted and tweets sent, comparing him to Eminem, primarily due to the similarity of their voices and flow. After the song “Die Already” was posted, Eminem tweeted, “Wow whoever made “Die Already” really does sound like me. But it ain’t.” The tweet was posted in 2009. Numerous other users on YouTube uploaded his songs saying they were new songs by Eminem.

Despite the fact that his voice will always sound similar to Eminem, Denace has worked hard to create his own style and created multiple new albums including, “I Want My $ Money Back” (2011), “The Gift and the Curse” (2013), “New Beginnings” (2014), “The Final Chapter” (2015), and “Dead End” (2015).