Twin Cities rapper and activist Nur-D stopped by The Current’s studios to tell the story of how what was supposed to be a regular Saturday afternoon turned into the harrowing experience of being detained by federal agents shortly after 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti was killed in Minneapolis.

Watch and listen to the full interview in the player above, and find a complete transcript below.

Interview Transcript

Jill Riley: You are listening to The Current, I'm Jill Riley. Well, Twin Cities hip-hop artist and activist, pop culture enthusiast, geek culture enthusiast, and quite frankly, a joy enthusiast, Nur-D is here at The Current. Nur-D, how are you?

Nur-D: You know, I have had better days to be honest, but I am looking forward to having more joy, like you said. I like "joy enthusiast." I like that. I'm looking forward to that.

Jill Riley: Yeah. So, I would love to spend more time talking about your wrestling character. I wish that that's just all we were going to focus on today. But really what we want to do is give you the space. And we want to hear from you about Saturday, January 24. I mean, this was the day that I think many of us learned about Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti, when he was shot and killed by federal ICE agents. Many of us saw it play out with videos coming out and photos. How did you hear the news?

Nur-D: So, it was just a regular Saturday at first. Me and my wife, we were planning to do errands, get dog food, window blinds, nothing particularly exciting, and then, so familiarly, I get a notification on my phone. There's a video on social media. I open the video up, and I watch as a man is murdered on my phone, which is unfortunately not the first time I've had to say that in my lifetime, and this time it was Alex Pretti and I don't know. My heart broke, because, just how awful is that? And we've already been so raw here as a community, as a people. I mean, Renee Good just, you know, not even — we're still in January. There's still January left. My heart just broke, and my wife's heart broke, and we said “We're gonna go out there. This is not new to us, we'll go out there. We'll voice our hurt, our heartbreak.” So that was the plan. That was how I was going to spend my Saturday, at least in the afternoon. But unfortunately for me, that was not how it my day ended. It was very different.

Jill Riley: Yeah, you know, residents, and you guys included, started gathering near Nicollet Avenue and East 26th Street. So the two of you arrive at that location. Can you describe what it was like when you arrived?

Nur-D: The area looked like a war zone, as any time this kind of happens. There's gas in the air seeping into children's homes and bedrooms. You see people coughing, just kind of like walking around. There are armed people with masks variously around intersections. There's cameras around, but no one's really seeming to know where safety is in this instance. And so, we get there, we find ourselves into an area where there's people, because where there's people, there's safety. And we stood, and we were there. We were going to be there to provide support, and — just our bodies, to show how we've been feeling. The day before, thousands, people in the streets, negative degree weather —

Jill Riley: Marching in Minneapolis.

Nur-D: Yeah, it felt like exactly what we were supposed to do. Then, there was more gas, flash bangs, various, like, I don't know, weaponry used against us as citizens.

Jill Riley: How long would you say you were there before things turned?

Nur-D: Honestly, it couldn't have been longer than, like, 20 minutes, 30 minutes.

Jill Riley: Okay.

Nur-D: We had just arrived.

Jill Riley: Sure.

Nur-D: And when — I heard no dispersal, there was no "everybody leave" to me.

Jill Riley: I was wondering that, if there was any indication.

Nur-D: So I am walking away as the gas and the flash bangs, I turn around. I'm walking away. Got my hands up so they can see them. I feel myself be hit multiple times with some sort of projectile. Being shot in the back is never fun.

Jill Riley: With some kind of, rubber bullet? You're not quite sure.

Nur-D: Something, my back was turned, so I don't know. But you know, the shooting in the back is — there's a particular group that do that sort of thing. And as I started to walk, I suddenly felt a bunch of hands on me. I didn't know what was going on, so I started to move. I got thrown to the ground, and then I was told that I was under arrest for assaulting a federal officer, which I don't know — and I've said this a couple times today, but I don't know if you've ever just been told something so wild. I might as well been told that I grew wings or a unicorn horn, because I was just like, “What?” And then my second thought was, does it even really matter? Does it even really matter?

Jill Riley: The explanation.

Nur-D: Yeah, it doesn't really, even really seem like that's gonna factor into this situation, because we've seen it. When the video is put out, or something's put out, it's clear as day one thing, and it can be whatever they want it to be. So, I just realized that, well, in this instance, the chances are that I'm probably going to die. I'm probably gonna be murdered here. So if that's the case, the best thing I can do is make sure people know who I am, people know what's going on, know that I've done nothing wrong, and to make it very clear that there will be no ambiguity here. If this is what you're going to do, you're going to kill me here in the street. There's going to be people who are watching you do it, you're going to have to live with whatever that is going to do to you and your life. The violence that happened to me is horrific, but the fact that I'm here today is actually an outlier. There are people who get kidnapped and then they're just gone, and their families have no idea where they are. The fact that I was assaulted, thrown into a pickup truck and drove away when my wife was screaming, had no idea, that is not a unique thing. That is being done to people, and it is — it is not the world that I want to live in. I don't think it's the world that our children deserve to grow up in. And so it was a very scary day for all of us, for the community, and I know that I'm thankful for the people who reached out and were like, looking for me, trying to find out if I was okay. Shout out to the nurses and the doctors at HCMC, where I eventually got to, for working to keep me safe and working to keep me well. It was a wild day. But I'm glad I'm here today to be able to talk about it.

Jill Riley: Talking with Nur-D on The Current. Saturday, January 24, a number of people woke up to video footage and the news that Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal agents. It wasn't that much later that I then saw the video, that was published by Status Coup News, showing you, you're walking down the street, I mean, I watched it with my eyes. You're walking down the street, your hands, your arms were in the air, and there was, I would say, quite a few federal agents that were chasing after you. I mean, I saw the footage of you being tackled to the ground, and you stating your name and stating that you're a citizen, asking, “Do you want to kill me in the street?” Stating, "I've done nothing wrong." You were asking for help. You were asking for medical assistance.

Nur-D: At that point, I had been sprayed with something directly into my face. Again, I have no idea what any of this stuff is. We don't really get a lot of information on what's being used against us, which I think is an interesting thing to think about, but I know it burned like acid. It was hard to breathe. It was in my lungs, not to mention the gas already in the air. And when you're being pushed on by a bunch of grown people, it's hard. You try not to panic, but it's difficult. So when you say, “Hey, I need an ambulance.” I need something —

Jill Riley: And your tone had really changed at that point.

Nur-D: I was like, yo, I'm not going to be able to stay calm. If you think you're going to die, it's very difficult to be able to stay within your wherewithal, and you shouldn't have to feel that way. And again, me making sure that they knew that I was a citizen, in no way insinuates that that should happen to anybody if they're not one. It was just a reminder that this isn't really something that you're supposed to do. You shouldn't be here at all, in my opinion, but like, you really are not supposed to do this. And it was the most terrifying couple of seconds, couple of minutes that bled into, who knows how long, in my life.

Jill Riley: Yeah. Well, and there was the point of the video that was shared, the video footage of — you're loaded into the back of a truck. That truck leaves, and that's where the video ends, so we didn't really know where you ended up.

Nur-D: Yeah, and I think that is what that feeling — and I, again, I don't want to minimize what happened to me in any stretch. But because I'm here to talk about it, I cannot stop saying that there are people right now who still don't know where their people are, they see their family or friend or lover or whomever —teacher, nurse, doctor, being put into some vehicle and driven away, and then that's it. That's it, and there's nothing they can do. They have no idea. That feeling of fear, that feeling of helplessness — my wife, when she talks about it, it is just all consuming, because you suddenly realize that you are a person, and there is an entire system with billions of dollars and thousands of people, between you and the person you love, and that can feel all-consuming. And so, yeah, when that video cuts off, there are so many people who that's where their entire life gets cut off, and nobody ever knows what happens to them, because there isn't a camera around.

Jill Riley: What you were able to do later in the day, it sounds like you did get medical assistance. You were treated.

Nur-D: So I was able to — honestly, because I continued to state exactly what was going on, how I was feeling and, real talk, the fact that I'm a big dude, the fact that they couldn't just do whatever they wanted with my body however they wanted to do it, saved my life. I was like, “I will not move, I'm afraid that you will kill me if I do. I feel like I need medical attention. If you're going to kill me, then you just got to do it.” But if that's not what we're going to do today, then I'm going to need somebody to help me. And eventually EMS came, and it took a minute. It took a minute for me to believe that that's what was going on, but I was able to — I was put on a stretcher, I was taken to an ambulance, and I was brought to medical professionals who really did step up and like, put themselves in front of my care, and they understood, they felt, and then I was able to go home to my family.

Jill Riley: You’re listening to The Current, Nur-D is here talking about his experience on January 24, when he was tackled and detained by federal ICE agents. You talked a little bit about that when you were initially tackled to the ground, you really thought like "I could die. I could be killed." In the time since, which is less than a week ago, Saturday, what are the things that you've been reflecting on, that you really feel like have been coming to mind for you in the past week?

Nur-D: One of the things that I've been reflecting on, number one, was that this isn't over, I think. At any point, someone could roll up and do something, that's number one. But what I've been feeling is that there are still people who don't know where their family members are. There are kids that don't know where their mother or father are. There are kids who don't know where they are. They've been taken and moved to a state they've never been to, around people they don't know. Sometimes in countries they've never been to. The idea that this is just something that people are debating at a coffee shop somewhere else is hard to feel sometimes. I get it, because I'm sure there's other things that are going on all around the world that people might say the same thing about me, so I'm trying not to be bitter about it. It's just what keeps running through my mind is that, that moment, this horrible moment that happened to me, isn't even the end of this at all. That wasn't the period on the sentence. “And then he went home, and then they were all like, ‘Oh, well, we should maybe stop.’” Like, no. It was, then that was just a thing that happened to you, and there are still people with whistles standing outside of their preschools to make sure their kids get home. That's what I keep thinking about. I don't know what that means. I don't know exactly what happens, but I feel like, seeing my community, seeing the people that we know, even fighting for each other, is beautiful. That I love, that helps me out. That's something that sticks in my mind, too. The people that called, the people that showed up at the hospital when I walked out and I saw my family, the people I care about, my band.

Jill Riley: The strength of the community.

Nur-D: The strength of the community has been something that allows me to sort of get up and continue.

Jill Riley: Well, get up and continue, that's what I wanted to ask you. What does this mean going forward as an activist? I mean, this is a really honest question, quite frankly, we're human beings. Are you scared to do it?

Nur-D: I mean, yeah, I've been scared this whole time. I was scared when we were marching for George Floyd and Philando Castile and Daunte Wright. I've been scared this whole time. I don't think that fear is a deterrent, though, not for me. I think that the reality, though, is this is happening.  There is no head in the sand situation. And again, there are people out there who've been doing this for longer than me, who are more educated about all this stuff, who will give you the right media answer, so please go and look for them. But for as far as I can tell you, Matt can tell you, we have to stop thinking about this like some sort of like political-gotcha game. I get people want to they say, "activist," “you're an activist.” And I get it. I understand it, but I'm a person. I'm just a person. I really, I really just want to make music. I really just want to enjoy my life and be with my friends and be with my wife and play video games and be a weirdo, that's what I want to do. But I have a line, just a line of humanity. That's all — at this point, that's what we're talking about, a line. Should people be gunned down in the street? Yes or No, wherever you fall on your line is where you fall on it. And I don't — my answer is no. That is not how we should be living, that is not how our children should believe the world is going to work for them, regardless of how it's been for however long. We are here now, we're the ones with our fingers on the button, and we can decide that that is it, and we can just be done. I don't think that people should be gunned down in the street, and I don't think that's a political stance. I think it's a human one. I don't think people should be kidnapped from their homes. I don't think that's a political stance. I think that's a human one. And so, as someone who is doing things and going around, that's what I'm going to continue to say. That's what I'm going to continue to move on. I ain't stopped yet, so I guess I'm gonna keep going.

Jill Riley: Nur-D is in the studio at The Current. You know, I remember talking with you in 2020, and I remember you telling me about how you were arrested at the State Capitol. At that time, you were really providing support for protesters. You were really focused on justice, front-line aid. And that experience at that time, the story you told, it was with a very different tone, although it was with a tone of this is community, we're going to keep going forward. But the 2020 experience and the killing of George Floyd, that informed your music, it certainly did with "38th and Chicago." How do you think that this time, going forward, will inform you as a creative? We just think about all of the ways in which Minnesota musicians, and not just Minnesota, but musicians, are reacting to the moment. How do you see that going forward for you?

Nur-D: Music is who I am. It's what I do. Because the experiences that I have fuse into me, they'll fuse into my music, they'll fuse into my art. I know that's the case for so many artists here. We're still writing about 2020, we're still writing about what that did to us, and this is going to just continue on that. There will be no escaping this. I think to my ancestors, if they could write songs that give information on how to escape some of the most brutal, torturous existence that has ever happened, which is American chattel slavery, and they wrote songs, and they provided information, and they were able to put pen to paper, even before they were allowed to read. It will happen here. There is nothing that can be done. There is not amount of silencing people that's going to stop what songs come out of here, stop what art comes out of here. It's going to be seen. It's going to be felt. And I hope that my music can be a part of that in some way, because I don't know. I think the stories that happen here need to be heard.

Jill Riley: Nur-D in the studio. In the past week, Matt, I have to ask you, what is one thing in all the heaviness and all the darkness, what is one thing that made you stop and remember that it's really beautiful to be human and alive, and something that brought you joy?

Nur-D: That's a very good question. It's funny, because when I came in here, I was humming K-Pop Demon Hunters, my nieces love that film.

Jill Riley: My son loves it. The soundtrack is on repeat, right?

Nur-D: They love that film, and I had gone over to visit them because I needed to see their faces. I remember there was a time in 2020 where I had shielded two small Black girls with my body as flash bangs and tear gas were let off until they could get to safety. And I remember having to go to my nieces and see them that time, and so I did similarly. I show up — they don't know what happened to Uncle Matt. They don't really understand, but they were just happy to see me, and we played monster, and I chased them around, and they showed me their K-Pop Demon Hunter stuff. And I think this idea that they live in a world where different cultures are exciting. They're excited, they're not Korean. They're excited to learn about a different group of people, and they're coming at life with curiosity, as opposed to fear. Like you're different from me? I want to know you, I'm interested in you, instead of go over there and stay away from me, it's that you're different from me, I want to know more. And seeing that that is the foundation of what's coming next, it makes it worth it. I hope I could live to see that be realized, and if I die on the street to make that happen, then I guess that's just what happens.

Jill Riley: That's beautiful. I think that's where we'll leave it. Nur-D, Twin Cities hip-hop artist and someone who cares deeply about the community, who cares about Minnesota, who cares about Minneapolis, who cares about, again, the joyful things in life. The next time we talk, I can't wait to hear more about your world of wrestling. I want to talk more pop culture, and I want to see more joy and, I appreciate you coming by and just, I'm so glad that we could just take a time to talk and give you the space to talk about what happened and to talk about your view in moving forward. So thank you so much, Nur-D.

Nur-D: Thank you for having me.

Jill Riley: You are listening to The Current.

Credits

Guest – Matthew “Nur-D” Allen
Host – Jill Riley
Producer – Nilufer Arsala
Digital Producer - Natalia Toledo

External Link

Nur-D – official site