Kuru (musician)

Kuru[a]
Also known asKuru8k, Lil’ Ku, Keeg
Born
Keegan Foley

(2005-11-14) November 14, 2005
Rockville, Maryland, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • rapper
  • record producer
Years active2020–present
LabelDeadAir
Member ofHelix Tears, Graveem1nd, TooManyStrikers[1]
Formerly ofNovagang[2][3]

Keegan Foley (born November 14, 2005), known professionally as Kuru, is an American rapper and record producer from Rockville, Maryland, U.S. They are a member of the DMV rap collective TooManyStrikers and digicore collectives Helix Tears and graveem1nd, and formerly of Novagang.[4] In 2024, Kuru released their debut studio album Re:Wired, followed by the mixtape Stay True Forever in 2025 and their second studio album Backstage Hologram in 2026.

Early life

Keegan Foley[5] was born on November 14, 2005, in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States.[6] Growing up, they described their life as "weird".[7] At 14, Kuru first began recording and producing music during the COVID-19 pandemic after they heard a Demxntia song and was mesmerized by it due to how they were able to make music from their room.[8][9] After generating traction through SoundCloud, Kuru began taking their work more seriously.[9]

Career

Kuru is a member of the internet rap,[10] digicore and hyperpop scene in hip-hop.[8][4] On December 3, 2021, Kuru, alongside Xaviersobased and other artists, was featured on Dazegxd's track, titled "Paterson New Jersey".[11] They released their debut studio album, titled re:wired with DeadAir Records which featured production credits from Twikipedia, a fellow member of the hyperpop and digicore scene.[4]

According to Kieran Press-Reynolds of Pitchfork the project sees Kuru embrace what it means to be a "digicore producer".[4] On May 23, 2025, Kuru released their first mixtape, titled Stay True Forever.[6][12] According to Solomon Pace-McCarrick of Dazed, the album sees Kuru being a rapper of "profound significance" at the center of a new wave of digital rap music.[4] In March 2026, Kuru announced a tour with Lucy Bedroque and 9lives.[13]

On April 17, 2026, their second studio album, titled Backstage Hologram, released, with features from Lucy Bedroque and Xaviersobased.[13][14] A reviewer for Pitchfork labeled the project as a playful one, the project sees Kuru experiment more with layered "polyphony" sounds, and 8-bit-inspired production while staying true to his roots on tracks with Xavier and Lucy.[15]

Musical style and artistry

Kuru is a member of the DMV rap scene.[1] According to Kuru, their vocal inspirations come from their closest friends, namely d0llywood1, Blackwinterwells, and 4 am. Kuru has developed their sound as part of the collectives NOVAGANG and bloodhounds. Additionally, they cite Typo, a fusion of UK drill and Europop sounds as a personal favorite.[8] Kuru is also close friends with rapper Angelus,[16] and Jackzebra, whom he has performed with along with other close friend rappers at the University of California Los Angeles chapter of the Sigma Pi fraternity.[17]

Personal life

As of 2026, Kuru resides in Queens, New York. In 2020, Kuru temporarily lived in New Jersey, according to a 2025 livestream.[7]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Album details
Re:Wired
Backstage Hologram
  • Released: April 17, 2026
  • Label: DeadAir
  • Format: LP, CD, digital download, streaming

Mixtapes

Title Album details
Stay True Forever
  • Released: May 23, 2025
  • Label: DeadAir
  • Format: CD, digital download, streaming

EPs

Title EP details
Splitting Time
  • Released: February 18, 2022
  • Label: Cascine
  • Format: Digital download, streaming

Notes

  1. ↑ stylized in lowercase

References

  1. 1 2 Lafontant, Olivier (2026-06-03). "The New DMV". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2026-06-03.
  2. ↑ "prblm's ever-shifting rap visions". The Fader. September 4, 2025. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Chasing Fridays: Superheaven, Kuru, Panchiko & More". Chasing Fridays. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Press-Reynolds, Kieran. "kuru: re:wired". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  5. ↑ Wired In by KURU on Apple Music, 2022-09-02, retrieved 2026-05-04
  6. 1 2 Dazed (2025-05-23). "Kuru's internet obsessions: Japanese math rock, Yume 2kki and Gossip Girl". Dazed. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  7. 1 2 Norris, John (May 19, 2026). "Lucy Bedroque & kuru Enter Their Next Era". V Magazine. V Magazine. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 "Meet the young, terminally online artists shaping the sound of hyperpop". Dazed. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  9. 1 2 "Meet Kuru, the 17-year-old hyperpop prodigy from Maryland". Georgetown Independent. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  10. ↑ Noel, Jude. "kuru: Backstage hologram". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2026-05-01.
  11. ↑ "Listen to Dazegxd, Xaviersobased, Kuru, Braindeadd & Glumboy's "Paterson New Jersey": The Ones". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Kuru announces new mixtape Stay True Forever, shares "2Door" video: watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  13. 1 2 Lindert, Hattie (2026-03-20). "Kuru Taps Xaviersobased, Lucy Bedroque for New Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2026-04-12.
  14. ↑ Sanfiorenzo, Dimassa. "Rap Albums Releasing in 2026". Complex. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  15. ↑ Lindert, Hattie; Mickles, Kiana; Corcoran, Nina; Monroe, Jazz (April 17, 2026). "12 New Albums You Should Listen to Now: Tokischa, Nine Inch Noize, and More". Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  16. ↑ "angelus Is Watching Digicore Come to Life". Paper. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Jackzebra goes to the zoo". i-D. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.