Sometimes very talented artists are underrepresented because of low visibility or their tendency to break conventions. The Twin Cities have been especially known for recognizing underground talent for brilliant music and showmanship, often boosting hometown heroes like Lizzo into worldwide superstardom. 

One of those rising artists is Matt Allen—known on stage as Nur-D—who recently placed first in local newspaper City Pages’ annual Picked to Click poll, which surveys hundreds of Twin Cities music performers, record store owners and more. 

He is very talented and has clearly caught many music lovers’ attention. He has only been rapping for a year-and-a-half but has been driven to become an artist and performer ever since he was little. Since he graduated from Rosemount High School back in 2009, he has been rhyming, rapping and rising in the charts. He keeps his hometown in his heart and in his song lyrics as his family and friends growing up have served as an inspirational foundation to continue pursuing his hip-hop lifestyle. 

“As far as inspiring me as a person, I think I would say my grandfather,” Allen said in an email interview. “He showed what it meant to be kind, patient, and strong.”

He did not start off as the hip-hop artist he is right now, though. In fact, he was once a timid, self-described “weird” kid who liked to play the keyboard in a rock band and was obsessed with video games and movies. His group, Black Genesis, helped Nur-D fall in love with performing and led him to pursue a career as a hip-hop artist, but he still plays the piano on his own time while he spends nights playing at clubs like the 7th Street Entry at First Avenue. 

“I don’t know if I have ever really stopped playing piano,” Allen said. “I still do it. It’s just that I realized that I liked being able to run around the stage more.”

Since setting aside the piano professionally and picking up the microphone, his rapping skills have improved quickly and exponentially. Notably, he is a five-time champion of Go Radio 96.3’s “Shut Up and Rap” contest. 

Allen’s oddball bars, thick-rimmed glasses, and humorous demeanor helped him to evolve and claim the rapper name Nur-D. He claims that his high school choral and vocal teacher Steven Albaugh was the one who pushed him through the path he took in the music and helped him become the artist he is today. Allen also looked at Albaugh as a male figure, since Allen only had his mom with him when they moved to Rosemount. Albaugh’s support helped to point Allen in the right direction.

Most of the lyrics from Nur-D’s songs are related to trying to prove doubters wrong and keeping a positive energy in life. 

“Love yourself even when it’s hard, even when no one else does, even when you don’t feel like it,” Allen said. “Then you can love others.” 

His album “Songs About Stuff ” was nominated as one of the 10 best Minnesota albums of 2019 by the Star Tribune and made him known as one of the best hip-hop artists in the state. Nur-D’s first album, “Mixtape 2: Electric Boogaloo”, features one of his popular songs, named “Take My Picture” . The song is about how he feels good about entering the world of music and maintaining a warm and confident vibe, repeating the phrase “I look good, take my picture” throughout the song. This achievement got him touring with MC Chris and Brother Ali in November and December of 2019, with more collaborations planned for 2020. 

Nur-D has undoubtedly gained the attention of Minnesotans, and now he’s trying to take his high quality music and energetic attitude nationwide. 

“I just got off my first tour with Brother Ali and I had so much fun,” Allen said. “I am itching to get out on the road. There is a lot of work that goes into it, though, so I am making sure to be careful and plan everything out.”

Now it’s only a matter of time until the rest of the music world takes notice and turns another Minnesotan into an international sensation.