Morray

Last updated

Morray
2021 Offseason Tour (cropped).jpg
Morray performing at J. Cole's The Off-Season Tour in 2021
Background information
Birth nameMorae Ebony Ruffin
Born (1992-11-10) November 10, 1992 (age 32)
Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
Years active2014–present
Labels

Morae Ebony Ruffin (born November 10, 1992), known professionally as Morray, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He first saw recognition for his 2020 single "Quicksand", which led him to sign with Interscope Records and release his debut mixtape, Street Sermons (2021) the following year. [2] The song peaked at number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100, while his 2021 single "My Life" (with J. Cole and 21 Savage) peaked at number two on the chart and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Contents

Early life

Growing up in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Ruffin was raised on R&B and gospel music, singing in his local church by the age of four. He moved to Lebanon, Pennsylvania at age 12 and lived there for six years before moving back to North Carolina. [3] While in Pennsylvania, he met a rap collective called SGS which inspired him to start making music. With stints in juvenile detention at age 19, he served jail time in his early 20s. [4]

While raising a child, he worked construction and recorded music on the side. [5] In 2014, he released his first song, which he recorded for his wife's birthday, and started taking music seriously. [3] In 2020, he lost his job at a call center and chose to pursue his music career to support his three children. [6]

Career

In March 2020, Morray released his first music video "Quicksand", which led to his being discovered by media manager Moe Shalizi. He became Morray's manager and launched a record label called Pick Six Records. Morray also featured two more songs with Mo Chedda in 2020, "Snitch On Ya Man's" and "In Da Trap". [3] On October 30, Morray and Shalizi re-released "Quicksand" as a single; it later charted on the Billboard Hot 100. [7] Following the single, he received co-signs from fellow North Carolina rappers J. Cole and DaBaby. The single amassed millions of streams, and he was featured as part of Billboard's Emerging Artists Spotlight. In an interview with Billboard, he said "I want to be that light in the ghetto, I want be the person that makes you smile and shows you the hood ain't all bad. I appreciate where I came from and I know that the ghetto can bring both positive and negative memories." [8] He released three more singles in 2020: "Switched Up", "Low Key", and "Dreamland".

In 2021, Morray released the singles "Big Decisions" and "Kingdom". [9] [10] On April 16, Morray announced that he had signed to Interscope Records in a joint venture with Pick Six. [11] He released the single "Trenches" ahead of his debut project in April. [12] His mixtape Street Sermons was released on April 28, 2021. The mixtape debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number 41. [13] On May 14, Morray was a guest feature on J. Cole's album The Off-Season , on the song "My Life" with 21 Savage. [14] The song debuted at number two on the Hot 100, becoming his highest charting and best performing song. [15] Also in 2021, he was featured on the 2021 XXL Freshman Class. On June 22, it was announced he would be joining J. Cole and 21 Savage on their co-headlining The Off-Season Tour as their opener. On July 30, Morray released a remix of his song "Trenches" featuring Polo G.

Artistry

Morray grew up listening to artists like Usher and took inspiration from Drake's rapping and singing fluidity. [16] His style has been compared to CeeLo Green, and described as combining "the soulfulness of Big K.R.I.T. with the bounce of Outkast". [17]

Discography

Mixtapes

List of mixtapes, with selected chart positions
TitleDetailsPeak chart positions
US
[18]
US R&B
/HH

[19]
US Rap
[20]
Street Sermons
  • Released: April 28, 2021
  • Label: Pick Six, Interscope
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
412017

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles, with selected chart positions
TitleYearPeak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[21]
US
R&B
/HH

[22]
US Rap
[23]
"Quicksand" [24] 2020652923Street Sermons
"Switched Up" [26]
"Low Key" [27] Non-album singles
"Dreamland" [28]
"Big Decisions" [29] 2021Street Sermons
"Kingdom" [30]
"Trenches" [30]
(solo or with Polo G)
"Bad Situations"TBA
"Mime"Madden NFL 22
"Never Fail"
(with Benny the Butcher)
TBA
"Still Here" [31]
(with Cordae)
2022
"Momma's Love" [32]
"Ticket" [33]
List of featured singles, with selected chart positions
TitleYearPeak chart positions Certifications Album
US
[34]
US
R&B
/HH

[35]
US Rap
[36]
AUS
[37]
CAN
[38]
IRE
[39]
NZ
[40]
SWI
[41]
UK
[42]
WW
[43]
"My Life"
(J. Cole with 21 Savage and Morray) [44]
202121111812534134 The Off-Season
"In My Blood"
(MO3 featuring Morray)
Shottaz 4Eva

Guest appearances

List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name
TitleYearOther artist(s)Album
"Snitch on Ya Man's"2020Mo Chedda, ARNon-album singles
"In Da Trap"Mo Chedda
"Mime"2021 Madden NFL 22
"Hands Up" Tyla Yaweh Non-album singles
"All Them Days"Derez De'Shon
"Tail Lights"2023 Macklemore Ben

Tours

Supporting

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yo Gotti</span> American rapper (born 1981)

Mario Sentell Giden Mims, known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper and music executive. In 1996, he released his debut album Youngsta's On a Come Up under the alias Lil Yo. He went on to release From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game (2000), Self-Explanatory (2001), Life (2003), Back 2 da Basics (2006), Live from the Kitchen (2012), I Am (2013), The Art of Hustle (2016), I Still Am (2017), Untrapped (2020), and CM10: Free Game (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tech N9ne discography</span>

The discography of Tech N9ne spans over 29 years, with the earliest official release being the single release "Cloudy-Eyed Stroll/Mitch Bade" in 1996. Tech N9ne has SoundScanned over two million albums independently. He has also had his music featured in many movies, television shows, and video games.

<i>Live from the Kitchen</i> 2012 studio album by Yo Gotti

Live from the Kitchen is the sixth studio album by American rapper Yo Gotti. It was released on January 10, 2012, by Polo Grounds Music; distributed by RCA Records. The album was supported by two singles: "We Can Get It On" and "Single".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyga discography</span>

The discography of American rapper Tyga consists of seven studio albums, three compilation albums, twenty mixtapes, sixty-seven singles and forty-six music videos. In 2008, Tyga released his first studio album, No Introduction, on the record label Decaydance Records. The album was led by the single "Coconut Juice", which peaked at number 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and marked Tyga's first song to enter on the chart. In 2010, Tyga and Virginia singer Chris Brown released the collaborative mixtape Fan of a Fan (2010), which included their hit single "Deuces", which peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Tyga's first song to chart on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it peaked atop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Cole discography</span>

American rapper and record producer J. Cole has released six studio albums, one live album, four compilation albums, three extended plays, four mixtapes, 58 singles, two promotional singles and twenty one music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wale discography</span>

The discography of American rapper Wale consists of seven studio albums, three compilation albums, ten mixtapes, one extended play, sixty-five singles, two promotional singles and forty-one music videos. In 2005, Wale started his music career by releasing mixtapes in the Washington, D.C. area. His debut mixtape was titled Paint a Picture. Following that, Wale released his second mixtape in 2006, Hate Is the New Love. That same year, Wale signed with a local record label in Studio 43. In 2007, Wale was discovered by Mark Ronson and signed with his record label Allido Records, who released his third mixtape, 100 Miles & Running in July of that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler, the Creator discography</span>

American rapper Tyler, the Creator has released eight studio albums, one extended play (EP), 36 singles, three mixtapes, two instrumental albums, one live album and one video album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Sean discography</span>

American rapper Big Sean has released six studio albums, four mixtapes, thirty-one singles, eight promotional singles, and thirty-nine music videos. In 2008, Big Sean was discovered by American rapper and record producer Kanye West, who signed Sean to his record label GOOD Music—distributed through Def Jam Recordings. Since 2008, after signing a record deal to West's label G.O.O.D. Music, Sean's career continued through his mixtapes such as Finally Famous Vol. 2: UKnowBigSean (2009) and Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG (2010). While he was releasing these mixtapes, he collaborated on various tracks and/or singles from West, Royce da 5'9" and Chris Brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meek Mill discography</span>

The discography of American rapper Meek Mill consists of five studio albums, seven extended plays, one compilation album, three collaborative albums, eleven mixtapes, fifty-four singles, ten promotional singles and thirty music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">French Montana discography</span> Hip hop recording artist discography

The discography of Moroccan-American rapper French Montana consists of five studio albums, twenty-six mixtapes, 51 singles including 57 as featured artist, 32 music videos and 18 promotional singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss America (J. Cole song)</span> 2012 song by J. Cole

"Miss America" is a song by American hip hop recording artist and record producer J. Cole, released November 13, 2012 as the first promotional single from his second studio album Born Sinner (2013). The song, which was produced by Cole himself, samples Rue Royale's "Flightline". The song debuted at #34 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The song was used in Ubisoft's Launch trailer for the 2013 video game Splinter Cell: Blacklist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mustard (record producer)</span> American record producer (born 1990)

Dijon Isaiah McFarlane, known professionally as Mustard, is an American record producer and DJ. A frequent collaborator of fellow California-based artists YG and Ty Dolla Sign, he began his career producing singles and albums for both rappers, and has since done so for other prominent acts in hip hop and R&B. He first saw recognition for his work on Tyga's 2011 single "Rack City".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chief Keef discography</span>

The discography of American rapper Chief Keef consists of five studio albums, four extended plays, forty mixtapes, and twenty-eight singles. Chief Keef released his first studio album Finally Rich in 2012, which contained several successful singles, including "I Don't Like", "Hate Bein' Sober", and "Love Sosa". The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the Billboard Rap chart. In 2013 he was featured on several hit songs by other rappers. In 2014 he released his mixtape Back from the Dead 2, which was critically acclaimed. In 2015 he was featured on Travis Scott's debut album Rodeo on the song "Nightcrawler". He later released the album Bang 3 in two parts. Following this Chief Keef decided go on a one-year hiatus. In 2017, he released three mixtapes and then released the album Dedication. He then released more mixtapes in 2018. In 2019, he released his collaborative album with Zaytoven called GloToven which has a sole feature from Lil Pump. He then went on a hiatus for around 2 years, to return with his fourth album 4NEM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bas (rapper)</span> Sudanese-American rapper from New York

Abbas Hamad, known professionally as Bas, is a French-born Sudanese-American rapper. He signed with J. Cole's Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscope Records to release his debut studio album, Last Winter (2014). It was met with positive critical reception and entered the Billboard 200, along with his second and third albums, Too High to Riot (2016) and Milky Way (2018). His fourth album, We Only Talk About Real Shit When We're Fucked Up (2023) was met with continued praise despite failing to chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That Part</span> 2016 single by Schoolboy Q featuring Kanye West

"That Part" is a hip hop song by American hip hop recording artist Schoolboy Q featuring Kanye West. It was released on May 13, 2016 by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and Interscope Records, as the lead single from Schoolboy Q's fourth album Blank Face LP, and was produced by Cardo, Yung Exclusive, Cubeatz and Sounwave. The song was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. HipHopDX named it the ninth best hip-hop song of 2016.

"1985" is a song by American rapper J. Cole, released on April 20, 2018, from his studio album, KOD.

<i>The Off-Season</i> 2021 studio album by J. Cole

The Off-Season is the sixth studio album by American rapper J. Cole. It was released on May 14, 2021, by Dreamville Records, Roc Nation and Interscope Records. The album was executive produced by Cole, Ibrahim Hamad, and T-Minus. It also features guest vocals from Morray, 21 Savage, Lil Baby, Bas, and 6lack. It became Cole's first album since 2013's Born Sinner to contain guest features. Production was handled by multiple producers, including Cole himself, T-Minus, Timbaland, Boi-1da, Frank Dukes, DJ Dahi, Tae Beast, and Jake One, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quicksand (Morray song)</span> 2020 single by Morray

"Quicksand" is the debut single by American rapper Morray. The song's music video premiered in March 2020, before it was released again on October 30, 2020, by Pick Six Records and Interscope Records. It is the lead single from Morray's debut mixtape Street Sermons (2021). The song debuted at number 100 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 2021, and peaked at number 65.

<i>Street Sermons</i> 2021 mixtape by Morray

Street Sermons is the debut commercial mixtape by American rapper and singer Morray. It was released on April 28, 2021, by Pick Six Records and Interscope Records. The tape peaked at number 41 on the Billboard 200.

"My Life" is a song by American rapper J. Cole, British-American rapper 21 Savage and fellow American rapper Morray. It is the third track from Cole's sixth studio album, The Off-Season, released on May 14, 2021. The song features the hook of "The Life" (2002) by American rapper Styles P, as interpolated by Morray. The song was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States on May 25, 2021, as the album's first single. The single debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Cole's highest charting single in the country as a lead artist, surpassing the number four peak of "Middle Child". It is also Morray’s highest-charting song, surpassing his single "Quicksand" which peaked at number 65 and 21 Savage's highest-charting song as a lead artist, overall behind his features on Post Malone's number-one hit "Rockstar" and Drake's number-one hit "Jimmy Cooks".

References

  1. "Morray Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  2. "NORTH CAROLINA LYRICIST MORRAY CALLS HIS MUSIC 'THAT LIGHT IN THE GHETTO' FOLLOWING JAY-Z TIDAL PLAYLIST LOVE". HipHopDX. January 19, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 ""I Thought I Was Supposed to Be a Pastor:" An Interview with Morray". PassionWeiss. February 4, 2021.
  4. McKinney, Jessica. "Morray Is the Realest". Complex.
  5. "Switched Up: Morray's Life Changed With One Phone Call". Spin. February 2021.
  6. Monger, Timothy. "Morray – Biography". AllMusic.
  7. "MORRAY'S 'QUICKSAND' CRACKS BILLBOARD 100, CEMENTING THE 'OUT THE MUD' NARRATIVE". HipHopDX. February 16, 2021.
  8. Mamo, Heran. "North Carolina Rapper Morray Shines Light on Life in the Hood With 'Quicksand': Emerging Artists Spotlight". Billboard.
  9. Cho, Regina (February 5, 2021). "The Ones: Morray's "Big Decisions"". Pitchfork.
  10. Mahadevan, Tara C. "Watch Morray's New Video "Kingdom"". Complex.
  11. "Morray Signs to Interscope in Partnership With Pick Six Records". Billboard.
  12. "Morray Pays Homage to His Hometown in 'Trenches' Video". Billboard.
  13. "HipHopDX Rising Star Morray Plots 'Street Sermons' Project". HipHopDX. April 16, 2021.
  14. "J. Cole's new album features track with fellow Fayetteville rapper Morray". The Fayetteville Observer.
  15. "J. Cole Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  16. "THE BREAK PRESENTS: MORRAY". XXL. December 30, 2020.
  17. "Morray Is Pushing Hip-Hop's Boundaries With His Authentic and Heartfelt Singles". OnesToWatch.
  18. @billboardcharts (May 10, 2021). "Debuts on this week's #Billboard200 (2/3)..." (Tweet). Retrieved May 11, 2021 via Twitter.
  19. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard . January 2, 2013.
  20. "Top Rap Albums". Billboard . January 2, 2013.
  21. "Quicksand by Morray". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  22. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: May 15, 2021". Billboard. January 2, 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  23. "Hot Rap Songs". Billboard . January 2, 2013.
  24. "Quicksand – Single". iTunes.
  25. 1 2 "American certifications – Morray". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  26. "Switched Up – Single". iTunes. November 20, 2020.
  27. "Low Key – Single". iTunes. December 4, 2020.
  28. "Dreamland – Single". iTunes.
  29. "Big Decisions – Single". iTunes.
  30. 1 2 "Kingdom – Single". iTunes. February 5, 2021.
  31. "Still Here". iTunes. March 4, 2022.
  32. "Momma's Love". iTunes. May 6, 2022.
  33. "Morray Enlists Southside for New Inspirational Single "Ticket"". Complex. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  34. Peaks on the Hot 100:
  35. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart:
  36. US Rap chart:
  37. "Discography Morray". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  38. Billboard Canadian Hot 100:
  39. "Discography Morray". irish-charts.com. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  40. "Discography Morray". charts.nz. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  41. "Discography Morray". hitparade.ch. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  42. "Morray | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company . Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  43. Peaks on the Global 200:
  44. "Top 40 Rhythmic Future Releases". AllAccess. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  45. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  46. "British certifications – Morray". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved July 30, 2024.Type Morray in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.