I first met Lurk Franklin an Open Mic here in Las Vegas. We met at The Jam open mic and I could tell that he was something special.  The artist has an aura around him that screams “I came here to party, and you should be too.” He turned some heads with his track Misfits at that first open mic and since then he’s been making waves here in Las Vegas. The Georgia artist relocated to LV at the start of the year and already has a slew of accolades here in the city.

His ultra-collaboration with Vegas representatives Marco and Zerby have gotten crowds moving all over town. After opening up for Larry June in May and playing shows in Arizona with Zotiyac; Lurk has made a name for himself. He even appeared on local radio with AD at 98.5 KLUC to freestyle and chop up some game and killed it last week at #LVFW, Las Vegas Fashion Week. Last month I got to sit down with Lurk and get some insight into the artist.

REX: Coming from Georgia, you could’ve gone to New York, you could’ve gone to Seattle, you could’ve gone to LA. Why Las Vegas? 

Lurk: I feel like Vegas is an emerging scene, with rap and everything, I feel like it would be a good launchpad to boost my career up. I think I came at the right time.

Rex: I’ve seen you at every open mic in town, I’ve bought tickets to your shows. What’s been your favorite performance yet?

Lurk: Probably when I opened up for Larry June. That was probably the biggest show I’ve done so far, and the most fun I’ve had, or the Jam Fest, that was a really cool event that we did at Ninja Karaoke. 

Author’s Note: Jam Fest was an event that took place in late June this last year. The event took all the heavy hitters from The Jam Open Mic and threw them all on the lineup. That was a fun show for everyone involved

Rex: Although you’re fresh to the city, you’ve managed to make some integral connections. Who would you say is the most influential Vegas artist that you’ve worked with? 

Lurk: Probably Zerby for sure. He started rapping around the same time that I did. He’s been working really hard, doing countless shows and a whole bunch of work in general. Zerby for real.

Rex: Your track ‘Misfits’ is a hit. #LFG is a hit. What song of yours is your favorite? 

Lurk: #LFG with Zerby and Marco because I like performing it. That shit’s hype, it’s scary, it’s frightening, it’s fun. Also Uh-huh, which I haven’t released, but I posted a snippet on Instagram and got like 150 comments on there, so it’s in high demand. The people want that…

Author’s Note: Uh-huh, has since been released, go check out that goodness below.

Rex: How long have you been doing this Lurk? 

Lurk: about 65 years…

Rex: We’re gonna keep it like that. Fuck it. Lurk Franklin has been in the rap game for 65 years. What should we expect next from you? 

Lurk: We’ve got Uh-Huh dropping soon, #LFG video hopefully at the end of August, and we’ve got shows coming with FTC. September is my birthday month so we’ve got everything dropping then…

Author’s Note: FTC, or For the Culture is a collective of artists and vendors that host some of the dopest independent events in Las Vegas.

Rex: Anything you want the world to know? 

Lurk: Keep repping #TURTLETEAM, and keep pursuing your dreams, don’t let anything stop you.

Keep up with Lurk Franklin by following him on SoundCloud and Twitter @BLFRANKY, and Instagram @Lurk_Franklin, and check out his freestyle with local radio station 98.5 below.