- Words Millie Dunn-Christensen
Ahead of the release of his album Chunkadelic, we sat down with rising hip-hop star Nur-D to discuss the creation of the album, the moment he fell in love with hip-hop, and what's next for him.
“I hope this record can be a part of the backing track to the best memories of your life,” says Minneapolis-based artist Nur-D, buzzing with energy. Just months away from the release of his boundary-pushing new album Chunkadelic, the genre-defying rapper is poised for a breakout moment, one that’s been years in the making.
Blending the electrifying grooves of funk and jazz with razor-sharp lyricism and infectious hip-hop hooks, Chunkadelic is Nur-D’s boldest project yet: a vibrant, soul-infused celebration of creativity, authenticity, and joyful resistance. As much a dance record as it is a personal manifesto, the album is a technicolour explosion of sound and sentiment, bursting with both euphoric party anthems and pointed social commentary.
From co-founding his own studio to shaping every element of the album’s production, visuals, and storytelling, Nur-D has poured himself into this project. And it shows. “Chunkadelic isn’t just an album—it’s a promise to myself,” he tells us. “A promise that I will be myself, even when it’s hard.”
We sat down with the rising hip-hop innovator to talk about the album’s kaleidoscopic sound, the creative community he’s building in Minneapolis, and how staying true to yourself – no matter the cost – can be the most radical act of all.
Congratulations on the release of ‘Chunkadelic’! Can you tell us what the song means to you?
‘Chunkadelic’ is the name on the side of this Jukebox rocket! It is sort of the heart of what I am hoping this era of my music can be. And what’s hilarious is it came from a troll on a Reddit comment section who wanted to make fun of me, but honestly it fits so well.
How did the track come about? What does your creative process typically look like?
This track came about when the project as a whole needed a new direction. I had been working on something much more depressing and to bring myself out of that, I would write these more joyful songs. Eventually my head producer DJ Hayes and I looked at each other and said, “I think we have something amazing here.” It just needed a song to burst through as boldly as I was feeling and the rest is Chunkadelic history!
Tell us how your journey with music began. What led you to create your own?
When I was a kid, we were helping a family friend move and I sat down on the floor with this old CD player thing. Inside there was a copy of Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life and I picked a song at random. It was ‘Sir Duke’ and from the moment that song started I knew that I wanted to figure out how to make magic like that. It has been a constant hunt to recapture that feeling.
What made you fall in love with hip-hop?
Rapping with my brother and his friends after school. There was something about a bunch of Black kids, who lived in mostly white communities, getting together and just rapping. I grew up in a pretty conservative household so didn’t get to listen to a lot of the popular stuff until I was older. Growing up, hip-hop was what myself, my friends, GRITZ, and a bunch of unknown famous people did. When I stepped off the stage at my first open mic (which I only signed up for as a joke) I knew I was hooked.
You have an album coming out soon. Can you tell us what it’ll be about?
So the album is the same name as the single ‘Chunkadelic’ and it’s about bold creativity and radical joy in the face of social pressure to conform, an industry that thrives on apathy and shared silence, and a world that often feels hard to cope with… with a sprinkle of shaking ass and getting money thrown in for taste!
Are there any unusual stories from the creation process of the album that you’d like to share?
This is the first record that I have made in the studio that I built with my head producer, DJ Hayes. Going from sleeping in my car and recording myself in the Target family bathroom to a full Iso-Booth is kinda crazy. Also this is the first record where I was gardening during a lot of the writing process. It was a very new experience that allowed me to get at things in new ways that I would have never thought of.
The album features a lot of collaborations. What’s your favourite thing about collaborating and what do you look for in a collaborator?
Yes! I have so many dope features and collabs on this record! I think my favourite thing about collaborating is getting to do music with people who are as passionate about it as I am. Sometimes it can feel lonely being so into something, so when someone else comes in and they are also super into it, there is an excitement there. Not to mention it’s an amazing way for your music to represent where you are from and the community you have. When I look for a collab, I look for people who would fit the theme and vibe of the story I am telling – similar life experiences or a different perspective on a shared idea.
How do you think being from Minneapolis influences the work you produce?
I think a lot of times in music when someone in your area gains a certain level of status, how they perform sort of becomes the template for everyone else to do. Regions start to sound like each other and there is a singular sound of a place. In Minnesota, our person was Prince, and the beauty of it was that his music, artistry, and life was all about finding your own unique path. So here in Minneapolis, we have so many different music avenues and influences to choose from. The Funk is in the bones of the Twin Cities and I think because of that, it’s worked its way in me too.
What do you hope people take away from your music?
There is a moment when a good song hits you and it takes you to a place where, for a second, you just have fun. It hits you inside and you just react, scrunch up your face, slap your neighbour, or hit the pause button to give yourself a second. That’s what I am hoping for on this record. I hope this record can be a part of the backing track to the best memories of your life.
What’s next for Nur-D?
Outside of one day challenging for the WWE title? I’m taking Chunkadelic around the whole world! Everyday when a new fan joins the Nur-D Club, it’s just the coolest thing in the world. I want to see new stages, perform in new cities and countries, and I want to eat at some restaurants they don’t have in my hometown. If people are gonna keep letting me be a goofy nerd with my friends all over the globe, that’s what I plan on doing for the rest of my life.