Minnesota hip-hop artist celebrates special connection to MLK, carries on his message
Nur-D performs at Minnesota's Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. (FOX 9)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota hip-hop artist with a family connection to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. helped celebrate the civil rights leader at Minnesota's annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration.
Matt Allen, known by his stage name, Nur-D (pronounced "nerdy"), says he tries to carry on Dr. King's message through his music.
“To be able to be a part of this whole event, it’s going to be a life milestone for me,” Allen said.
The 29-year-old is a New York City native who grew up in Minnesota and graduated from Rosemont High School. He was voted City Page’s Picked to Click 2019 New Local Artist of the Year. His grandfather immigrated to the U.S. from Jamaica and he says his family has always been involved with fighting for equality.
"My Uncle Bill he actually, I remember hearing stories my mother told me about him marching with Dr. King when he was young,” Allen said. “My uncle wrote and composed a mass, which was performed for Martin Luther King and my grandparents were there and it was a really proud moment for our family just to be there.”
Allen says he’s trying to spread those same messages in his music. One way, is by celebrating his freedom to express himself. Nur-D is a self-proclaimed “nerd” who has always loved video games, anime and professional wrestling. He talks about those passions in his music and embraces his “goofy side.”
“Being able to express that and be able to express that as a young, black dude is super important I think because it shows that there are so many different ways to be, so many things to enjoy. You don’t have to be a certain type of person or a caricature of a person. You can just be yourself,” Allen said.
Through his music, Allen says he hopes to continue spreading that message and celebrate the freedoms so many before him.
“My grandfather, my uncle, my family, my mother fought, so I could be myself, so I could have a platform to just be me,” he said.