Kur In Concert
Back in 2014, Philadelphia rap demigod Meek Mill took to Twitter to sound the alarm on an up-and-comer from his hood who'd grabbed his ear: "I need Kur from Philly mixtape! #hehot." Often in hip-hop, a simple co-sign from a star is all a young rapper needs to start building momentum for their own career, and Kur (pronounced "core") took it, ran, and has become what Hypefresh calls "Philadelphia's most buzzed about rapper."
Kur has freestyled among similar upstarts like Young MA and Dave East on the BET Hip-Hop Award Cypher and even released a collaborative EP with East titled Born Broke, Die Rich. Representing Philadelphia at every turn is at the heart of Kur's presence. He featured collaborators PnB Rock and Lihtz at his "Kur and Friends" show in Philly, and it felt like every person in the crowd knew every bar on set-starter "Up Top."
It's a testament to the devoted fan base he's built, and he's stood poised and commanding for the city he wears on his sleeve. Now in 2019, Kur is bringing his hard-spitting Philly style to venues across the country.
Kur Background
Growing up in uptown Philadelphia, Kor bounced between his parents' homes. When his mother was incarcerated, he moved in with his father, whose strict rules didn't suit his ambitions. He left at 18, and his rhymes are a reflection of how hip-hop helped him make sense of the world he had to negotiate, through Philadelphia's vibrant summers and mercilessly cold winters.
"Rapping isn't something I always really wanted to do. That's just something that I figured out," he told XXL. Figuring it out seems modest, as he has more than a dozen tracks on SoundCloud clocking in millions of streams apiece, and he's put out tracks with Philly heavyweights the likes of Lil Uzi Vert ("Run It Up") and Meek Mill ("Never Before"). His latest 180 mixtape features Casey Veggies and Chynna, with production from go-to Philly beatminder Maaly Raw.
