Note: This article mentions sexual assault.
Downtown Voices reached out to First Avenue numerous times via email and phone for comment and has not heard back. We will update this story if that changes.
Local hip-hop artist Matt Allen, who goes by the stage name Nur-D, recently announced on social media that he will not be performing at First Avenue venues “for the foreseeable future.”
On Dec. 19, Allen posted a five-part video series on TikTok and Instagram detailing his attempt to address First Avenue’s booking of an alleged rapist for a Halloween party, during which Nur-D was also scheduled to perform. Allen didn’t know who else was on the bill before Nur-D initially booked the First Avenue gig.
“What else do you do when First Avenue calls? You say yes,” Allen said in one of the videos.
Once First Avenue released the full line-up, Allen noticed one of the artists scheduled to play the Halloween show had previously been accused of raping someone in the community. After raising concerns with the venue’s booking agent, Allen was told he’d be dropped from the bill.
“I would have rather done the show and them taken off the alleged offender from the set,” Allen said in a separate conversation with Downtown Voices. “But that’s not what they wanted to do for their show.”
By the time the Halloween show rolled around, Nur-D remained dropped from the bill, while the alleged rapist played the gig. (Downtown Voices isn't naming the artist who's accused of sexual assault since no charges have been filed against them.)
The last time Nur-D performed at a First Avenue venue was Sept. 9, 2023 at the Fine Line. Nur-D nearly sold out First Avenue for his HVN album release show on Aug. 19, 2022.
Allen is vocal about creating safe spaces wherever Nur-D performs, both during his shows and on his social media accounts. Therefore, it’s not out of the ordinary for Allen and members of the Nur-D band to be told about artists who have allegedly sexually assaulted people and for Nur-D to drop off bills as a result of learning about accusations.
Nur-D performing at First Avenue on March 27, 2022. Photo courtesy of Jason Garcia
A similar situation played out last January, when Nur-D decided last-minute not to perform during an out-of-town show when he found out about a sexual assault allegation against one of the other artists on the bill. After the booker declined to pull that performer’s set, Allen made the decision to leave the show. After he left the venue, Allen broadcast on Instagram Live from a parking lot explaining to his fans why he abruptly left a venue where he was about to perform.
Back in Minneapolis, First Avenue knew about the rape allegations against the performer in question before the Halloween show, according to both Allen and the survivor, with whom Downtown Voices briefly spoke. When Allen learned about First Avenue’s knowledge of the artist’s history, he questioned First Avenue’s policies for reporting concerns to the venue.
“I looked and looked and looked and I eventually found the information on where to send a complaint or a report to First Avenue,” Allen said in his video series. “You got to look for it.”
In the about section on First Avenue’s website, it states, “If you experience harassment, abuse, sexual harassment, or if a perpetrator of harm is interfering with your experience at our venues, please approach a staff member to whom you feel comfortable talking.”
In the Code of Conduct section of the website it states, “If you believe a First Avenue staff member or representative has violated this Code, we welcome you to address it with us directly or to contact reporting (at) first-avenue.com to initiate an accountability process.”
Allen implied in his video series that First Avenue lacked adequate resources to report safety concerns and that concerns brought forth earlier to First Avenue, without Allen’s involvement, had not been addressed in a satisfactory manner.
As a frequent performer and audience member at First Avenue venues, Allen made it clear in his video series that the venues’ staff does not deserve ire. “They have all been amazing to me,” Allen said.
In his video series, Allen said he met with First Avenue owner Dayna Frank in late September, where she said she would do a few things to increase transparency in reporting concerns at First Avenue venues. Those actionable, per Allen’s description, were:
- The First Avenue website would be updated so reports could be more easily made and the follow-up process to complaints would be clearly explained.
- An email would be sent to all the staff about what to do if someone approaches them about specific concerns and where the concerns would be routed.
- At First Avenue’s request, Allen would set up a conversation with the survivor of the alleged rapist and Frank.
At the time that Allen filmed his videos, the website had not been updated, and he said First Avenue staff had not received an email about routing specific concerns.
As for the third thing on the list, Allen said the first time the survivor brought up the issue on her own to First Avenue, nothing changed about their booking process, so Allen was hesitant to arrange the meeting. But, ultimately, the survivor agreed to the meeting.
Frank and the survivor originally agreed via text message to meet on Nov. 17, 2023 at a southside coffee shop, as seen in screenshots shared with Downtown Voices. Frank later asked to move the meeting to Nov. 21, to which the survivor agreed, but when the day came, Frank never showed up, according to the survivor.
“Dayna, the person who owns First Avenue, the person who said they were going to be there just didn't come,” Allen alleged in his video series. “They didn't say they weren't coming, there was no information on what had happened or if there was an emergency. They just didn't show up.”
Allen said that moment “broke him.”
“They left this survivor out in the cold without so much as a text message to communicate how little this mattered to them,” Allen said
There was no follow-up text message sent by either party after the Nov. 21 meeting date was set and agreed to.
Allen said he hasn’t communicated with Frank since his meeting with her in September.
“I have a feeling I will never hear from First Avenue again,” Allen told Downtown Voices.
First Avenue also operates 7th St. Entry, Palace Theater, Fine Line, Turf Club, and Fitzgerald Theater. Allen’s pledge not to perform at their venues removes him from a lot of venues in the Twin Cities.
“I want my fans to be safe,” Allen said, explaining why he would walk away from playing at venues that have helped numerous artists “make it,” including fellow hip-hop artist Lizzo. “I can't bring what I want to bring to a venue whose response to sexual assault and rape is what I have received in this moment.”
At times, Allen grieved his decision in the videos, reminiscing about his longtime goal as an artist of playing First Avenue.
“I’m a Minnesota kid, First Avenue is First Avenue. It’s all I ever wanted for a really long time,” Allen said. “But I need us to be better. I want us to be better. And I want to be the type of person that will always fight for what they believe is right.”
While Allen doesn’t sound optimistic about playing at First Avenue again, he said it’s possible.
“I believe in road back,” he told Downtown Voices. “But it requires a full-throated acknowledgement of what you did or failed to do,” referring to First Avenue.
“Ultimately it requires a lot of change and accountability,” Allen said. “If they are willing to do that I would be back on board."
