Philly has held a reputation as the home of skilled lyricists for a very long time. Kur, a 24-year-old MC from the storied city, carries on tradition in his very own way. Rapping for about six years, he's made the most of his time, dropping multiple projects (his most recent being last year's Smked Out) that clearly displays his touch for sharing his views of the inner city and the struggle of climbing towards your goals. During the Between Somewhere Tour with Massachusetts rapper Token, Kur swung by the XXL office to get some things off his chest for our What I Do freestyle series.

He starts his freestyle by being honest with himself, sharing the doubt that comes with trying to break through as a rapper. "Some days I feel real empty and I just pray/Some days this shit real iffy like, Will it pay?/My attitude was too defensive back in the day/Turnaround point in my life happened today," he rhymes, with every word coming from the heart. "Almost used emotions at first, I didn't think/Maybe I should fall back from Percs, but feel I can't."

As tough as continuing a rap career can be when you're dealing with inner turmoil, Kur appreciates the motivation he gets from other people. "I done sacrificed so much with friends, with family, with all type of stuff, it's like to give up now would be like that was for no reason," he explains. "When I get jail calls or people be like, 'Yo, I'm living through you,' that really keeps me going. Even when I be thinking, Damn, I don't know if I wanna do this,' I be like No, how I'ma do that?'"

Enjoy Kur's freestyle at the top of the post, and catch him on the road with Token this spring. Also, keep an eye out for his upcoming debut album. Shakur, expected to drop in April.

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