Friends, musicians remember slain Denver rapper
Kevie Durham, a.k.a. rapper KL Tha General, could sell a CD to anyone.
“He had a speech thatwas out of this world,” said friend and partner Adonis Williams. “He would go up to people and say, ‘Hey, you support music?’ Then he would give this crazy speech that would get anyone to buywhat hewas into.
Such single-mindedness defined Durham since he began making music in the Denver hip-hop scene less than a decade ago.
“He was dedicated 100 percent to music. All he did was write music all day with his headphones on. There was nothing else,” saidWilliams, who worked with Durham promoting shows in the city for Town Runners.
Durham, 24, died Sunday morning after being shot in the chest after a disagreement at a bar on Federal Boulevard. His death has been ruled a homicide. Denver police said three males and two femaleswere hit when multiple shots were fired outside of The Beach nightclub, 1630 Federal Blvd., early Sunday. Police were notified around 2 a.m.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on the shooting is encouraged to contact the department.
Denver police spokesmen Ron Hackett said there was a large fight at The Beach before the shooting began, but itwas not clearwhether Durham was involved. There have been other disturbances in the area surrounding The Beach in the past, he said.
In the year
before
his death, Durham’s career started to gain traction locally. Anumber of his songs were getting regular play in Denver clubs, and he was beginning to buzz throughout the hip-hop scene.
“He was definitely one of the most prominent voices of northeast Denver working his way to the top,” said DJ Ktone (Kamau Martinez), who would play Durham’s music regularly at Club Vinyl, Brick House and Over There Off Hampden. “Everybody on the un- derground scene and club scene knows about him, because they play him every week.”
Most recently, Durham’s contribution to the “32 Bars ofControversy”— a collaborative effort among Denver hip-hop artists— began gaining traction in the scene. Since Durham recorded his track two months ago, it got regular play in clubs.
“A lot of people who didn’t know him respected him after that,” Martinez said. “He was just about to do some big things in the scene.
Another one of Durham’s tracks, “B-Wordz,” was making the rounds in Denver and has been played thousands of times on Soundcloud since its release a year ago.
But, above all, his friends remember him as a calm and friendly person — not the type to be involvedwith violence.
“Hewas a real humble, respectful young man. Hewas real laid-back. He wasn’t rowdy or anything,” Martinez said. “All he did and talked about was music. He was real passionate about his music and getting better andwhat he could do better. He just wanted to be the best artist he could be.”
In the days since his death, Durham’s Facebook page has been flooded with photos, poems, condolences, music and memories fromfriends, fans and family.
Durham’s friends and family have set up a Gofundme page to help pay for funeral costs. Services are
pending.