{"id":2139365,"date":"2025-11-06T17:26:32","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T17:26:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2139365"},"modified":"2025-11-06T17:26:32","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T17:26:32","slug":"nur-d-calls-on-community-to-help-save-fair-play-entertainment-studio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/nur-d-calls-on-community-to-help-save-fair-play-entertainment-studio\/","title":{"rendered":"Nur-D calls on community to help save Fair Play Entertainment studio"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><figcaption><span class=\"image-credit\"><span class=\"credit-label-wrapper\">Credit:<\/span> Courtesy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Minnesota hip-hop artist <strong>Nur-D<\/strong>, one of the Twin Cities\u2019 most recognizable independent performers, is rallying the community to help save <strong>Fair Play Entertainment<\/strong>, the recording studio he co-founded with longtime collaborator <strong>DJ Hayes<\/strong>. The South Minneapolis space has become a creative home for local musicians, first-time artists, and community storytellers\u2014but now faces possible closure unless <strong>$8,000<\/strong> is raised by January 2026.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"newspack-popup-container newspack-popup hidden  newspack-inline-popup      \" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF;color:#000\" id=\"id_1148339\" data-segments=\"43451,43450\" data-frequency=\"0,0,0,month\">\n<p><strong>Stay in the know. Sign up for our newsletter!<br \/><\/strong>Get your daily dose of community news, info, events, exclusive deals and more!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Nur-D, who burst onto the scene after winning <em>City Pages\u2019<\/em> \u201cPick to Click\u201d in 2019, said Fair Play was built from a simple vision: to make music production accessible to everyone. \u201cWe wanted to create a place where artists and producers both feel respected and encouraged to create without financial barriers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Built quite literally by hand\u2014with help from DJ Hayes\u2019 father\u2014the studio quickly became a hub for emerging voices in Minnesota\u2019s music scene. Since opening, it has welcomed rappers, singers, voice actors, and commercial clients. It\u2019s also where Nur-D recorded his most recent album, <em>Chunkadelic<\/em>.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-1    \">\n<style><![CDATA[@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 320px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 90px;}}]]><\/style>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Despite the studio\u2019s growing reputation, rising costs have made operations difficult to sustain. \u201cWhile this year has been amazing, that doesn\u2019t always translate to the bank account,\u201d Nur-D shared. \u201cEither I can pay my rent, or we can keep the doors open.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Studio for the People<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"740\" height=\"740\" data-attachment-id=\"1171005\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/spokesman-recorder.com\/2025\/11\/06\/nurd-fair-play-entertainment-support\/26919b_3c05c3ac604f4173a56e54db9f76f671mv2-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/spokesman-recorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/26919b_3c05c3ac604f4173a56e54db9f76f671mv2-1.avif\" data-orig-size=\"740,740\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"26919b_3c05c3ac604f4173a56e54db9f76f671~mv2 (1)\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/spokesman-recorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/26919b_3c05c3ac604f4173a56e54db9f76f671mv2-1-336x336.avif\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/spokesman-recorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/26919b_3c05c3ac604f4173a56e54db9f76f671mv2-1.avif\" src=\"https:\/\/spokesman-recorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/26919b_3c05c3ac604f4173a56e54db9f76f671mv2-1.avif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1171005\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spokesman-recorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/26919b_3c05c3ac604f4173a56e54db9f76f671mv2-1.avif 740w, https:\/\/spokesman-recorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/26919b_3c05c3ac604f4173a56e54db9f76f671mv2-1-336x336.avif 336w, https:\/\/spokesman-recorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/26919b_3c05c3ac604f4173a56e54db9f76f671mv2-1-140x140.avif 140w, https:\/\/spokesman-recorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/26919b_3c05c3ac604f4173a56e54db9f76f671mv2-1-600x600.avif 600w, https:\/\/spokesman-recorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/26919b_3c05c3ac604f4173a56e54db9f76f671mv2-1-400x400.avif 400w, https:\/\/spokesman-recorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/26919b_3c05c3ac604f4173a56e54db9f76f671mv2-1-200x200.avif 200w, https:\/\/spokesman-recorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/26919b_3c05c3ac604f4173a56e54db9f76f671mv2-1-300x300.avif 300w, https:\/\/spokesman-recorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/26919b_3c05c3ac604f4173a56e54db9f76f671mv2-1-706x706.avif 706w, https:\/\/spokesman-recorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/26919b_3c05c3ac604f4173a56e54db9f76f671mv2-1-100x100.avif 100w, https:\/\/spokesman-recorder.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/26919b_3c05c3ac604f4173a56e54db9f76f671mv2-1.avif 370w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px\"\/><figcaption><span class=\"image-credit\"><span class=\"credit-label-wrapper\">Credit:<\/span> Courtesy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Fair Play Entertainment has earned praise for its affordability and community-centered mission. Studio rates start at <strong>$20 an hour<\/strong> for self-recording sessions and <strong>$40 an hour<\/strong> with an engineer\u2014well below industry averages. That accessibility has turned the studio into a launchpad for new voices.<\/p>\n<p>Local artist <strong>Kalina<\/strong>, for example, recorded her first-ever song entirely in Hmong at the studio\u2014a milestone DJ Hayes described as \u201ca full-circle example of what Fair Play is all about.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-2    \">\n<style><![CDATA[@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 320px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 90px;}}]]><\/style>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The space has also hosted Minnesota acts like <strong>Lt. Sunny<\/strong> and <strong>MPLS Drew<\/strong>, providing both new and experienced artists with a space to create freely and without judgment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMusic should be a right, not a privilege,\u201d Nur-D said. \u201cWhen people have space to create, they find their voice\u2014and that\u2019s something our community needs more of, not less.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Raising $8,000 to Keep the Dream Alive<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Nur-D and DJ Hayes are asking supporters to help raise <strong>$8,000<\/strong> to cover rent and operating costs through the winter. Nur-D has already reinvested much of his own income into keeping the studio afloat, but now hopes the same community that inspired Fair Play will step in to sustain it.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-3    \">\n<style><![CDATA[@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 320px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 90px;}}]]><\/style>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cIf even half of our followers gave $2, we\u2019d be good,\u201d he said. \u201cSometimes what feels impossible just needs enough people believing in it together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fans and supporters can help in several ways:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Book studio time:<\/strong> Visit<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fairplayentertainment.org\"> <\/a><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fairplayentertainment.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fairplayentertainment.org<\/a> to schedule sessions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Join Nur-D\u2019s Patreon:<\/strong> Starting at $2 per month, members receive exclusive music and behind-the-scenes content.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shop the merch store:<\/strong> Proceeds from limited-edition apparel help fund studio operations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Donate directly:<\/strong> Contributions can be made via PayPal, Venmo, or CashApp through Fair Play\u2019s official social pages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For Nur-D, Fair Play Entertainment represents more than a studio\u2014it\u2019s a symbol of accessibility and community power.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d rather hear a thousand songs from people who could only afford $20 than one song that cost $500 an hour,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause then you\u2019re hearing real stories from real people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As Minnesota continues to nurture its legacy of musical innovation\u2014from Prince to Jimmy Jam &amp; Terry Lewis\u2014Nur-D sees Fair Play as part of that lineage. \u201cWe want to make sure the next generation has a space to create, grow, and be heard,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is a studio for the community. And with your help, it will stay that way.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"newspack-popup-container newspack-popup hidden  newspack-inline-popup  newspack-lightbox-no-border    \" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" style=\"background-color:#FFFFFF;color:#000\" id=\"id_1148340\" data-segments=\"\" data-frequency=\"0,0,0,month\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Support us as we support the community<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Make a contribution to support community journalism today.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>All levels of support are greatly needed and appreciated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">We also welcome support in the form of checks to the MSR office at 3744 4th Avenue South, Minneapolis, 55409.<br \/><em>The MSR is a for-profit business. Your support is not tax-deductible.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><h3 class=\"jp-relatedposts-headline\"><em>Your Might Also Like<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source spokesman-recorder.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Credit: Courtesy Minnesota hip-hop artist Nur-D, one of the Twin Cities\u2019 most recognizable independent performers, is rallying the community to help save Fair Play Entertainment, the recording studio he co-founded with longtime collaborator DJ Hayes. The South Minneapolis space has become a creative home for local musicians, first-time artists, and community storytellers\u2014but now faces possible [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2139366,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[355136,408010,408011,307568,351937,361171,408012,306903,408013,408014,408015],"class_list":["post-2139365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-community-support","tag-dj-hayes","tag-fair-play-entertainment","tag-featured","tag-independent-artists","tag-local-music-scene","tag-minneapolis-music","tag-minnesota","tag-minnesota-hip-hop","tag-music-accessibility","tag-nur-d"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Nur-D-calls-on-community-to-help-save-Fair-Play-Entertainment.avif.avif","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2139365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2139365"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2139365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2139367,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2139365\/revisions\/2139367"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2139366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2139365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2139365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2139365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}