Growing up in Fayetteville, NC and getting in trouble, Morray turned to music as his escape. He was raised on R&B and gospel music at the age of four. He then moved to Lebanon, Pennsylvania at the age of 12 and lived there for six years before moving back to North Carolina. While staying in Pennsylvania, he met a rap collective called SGS which inspired him to start making music.
While raising a child, he worked construction and recorded music on the side. In 2014, he released his first song, which he recorded for his wife’s birthday, and started to take music seriously. In 2020, he lost his job at a call center and chose to pursue his music career to support his three children. His passion for music would soon become reality, as in the same year, he released his debut single, “Quicksand” in March 2020. The song would then be discovered by media manager Moe Shalizi, who soon became Morray’s official manager and launched a record label called Pick Six Records. The two would then re-release the single on October 30, which led the song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and would gain attention worldwide from rappers such as J. Cole and DaBaby.
2021 would be an important year for Morray, as on April 16, Morray announced that he had signed to Interscope Records in a join venture with his current label. Shortly after, he would release his debut mixtape, Street Sermons on April 28, 2021. The mixtape would then go to debut and peak at #41 on the Billboard 200. On May 14, Morray went on to collaborate with J. Cole and 21 Savage on the track “m y . l i f e,” as a part of J. Cole’s album, The Off Season. Thanks to the success to both the song and his debut mixtape, Morray landed himself on a spot in the 2021 XXL Freshman Class.
Reflections
MorRay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fucked up, learned some lessons
Had my mama stressin'
Stuck behind a wall
Was a troubled adolescent
Couldn't make the right decision using everybody's method
And the ones that had my back, I gotta start to second guess 'em
Niggas call my bitch they sis but when I'm gone her name Alexis
Press the issue, start compressing, I'm ready to disrespect 'em
The Churchill gon' send a message
Big hole inside of ya chest, bitch
Saving money for the studio but that left with the haste
My daughter bday coming up, I didn't have a place to stay
Couldn't even throw a party, hell I could barely buy a cake
Glad I had the EBT, almost ruined my baby's day
Been there, did this, did that nigga, I seen so much pain
Calls up mama on that saying, "Sorry, couldn't pay"
Woulda, shoulda, coulda, might just work but it's too late
Facing all these demons, it's reflections in my face, yeah
Been there, did this, did that nigga, I seen so much pain
Calls up mama on that saying "Sorry, couldn't pay"
Woulda, shoulda, coulda, might just work but it's too late
Facing all these demons, it's reflections in my face
Being broke is a mindset, grew up on the concept
Shelter was my home but it was better than the projects
Tried to play sports but I could never be a prospect
Had to get my GED because I was convict
Fucked up, had to pick my nuts up
A black man with a record, employers would never trust us
Couldn't find a job, no money to ride the bus, but
I had no damn direction, my mind was stuck in a fluster
Had to move the big bags, mask up for the quick grabs
Michael Jordan on the waist, .45, yeah, I grip that
Didn't know it had kick-back
Dropped at first, didn't hit jack
Glad my niggas had me or I woulda been seein' pitch black
Been there, did this, did that nigga, I seen so much pain
Calls up mama on that saying "Sorry, couldn't pay"
Woulda, shoulda, coulda, might just work but it's too late
Facing all these demons, it's reflections in my face, yeah
Been there, did this, did that nigga, I seen so much pain
Calls up mama on that saying "Sorry, couldn't pay"
Woulda, shoulda, coulda, might just work but it's too late
Facing all these demons, it's reflections in my face
The lyrics of Morray's song Reflections delve into the struggles of his upbringing, detailing his experiences with poverty, crime, and disappointment. The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song as Morray reflects on his adolescent years and the trouble he found himself in. The line "Couldn't make the right decision using everybody's method" suggests that Morray was searching for guidance, but ultimately had to make his own choices, leading to his eventual arrest. He also questions the loyalty of those who claimed to have his back, indicating a sense of betrayal.
In the second verse, Morray expands on his experiences with poverty, explaining that it was all he knew growing up. He touches on the difficulty of finding employment with a criminal record and illustrates his frustration with being stuck in a rut. The line "Had to move the big bags, mask up for the quick grabs" suggests that Morray turned to crime to make ends meet, leading to more problems and ultimately leaving him with feelings of regret.
Line by Line Meaning
Fucked up, learned some lessons
I have made mistakes and learned from them
Had my mama stressin'
My actions have caused stress for my mother
Stuck behind a wall
I have been stuck in difficult situations
Was a troubled adolescent
I had a problematic youth
Couldn't make the right decision using everybody's method
I couldn't make the appropriate choice with the advice given
If I used it, I perfect it, bitch, I thought, now I'm arrested
I thought I was improving someone's idea but instead ended up in jail
And the ones that had my back, I gotta start to second guess 'em
I am beginning to doubt the loyalty of those who supported me
Niggas call my bitch they sis but when I'm gone her name Alexis
People claim to care for my partner but do not truly respect her
Press the issue, start compressing, I'm ready to disrespect 'em
I am getting frustrated and may lash out at those causing issues
The Churchill gon' send a message
I will make a bold statement with my actions
Big hole inside of ya chest, bitch
I will hurt those who have wronged me
Saving money for the studio but that left with the haste
I had plans to save for a studio but didn't follow through
My daughter bday coming up, I didn't have a place to stay
I did not have a stable home for my child's birthday
Couldn't even throw a party, hell I could barely buy a cake
I didn't even have enough funds to celebrate my child's birthday adequately
Glad I had the EBT, almost ruined my baby's day
I am grateful for government assistance, as it helped me provide for my child on her birthday
Being broke is a mindset, grew up on the concept
Growing up, I was taught that being financially unstable was normal
Shelter was my home but it was better than the projects
I had to live in shelters, but it was preferable to living in public housing projects
Tried to play sports but I could never be a prospect
I attempted to pursue athletic opportunities but was not successful
Had to get my GED because I was convict
I had to obtain a GED due to being convicted of a crime
Fucked up, had to pick my nuts up
I had to take responsibility for my actions and move forward
A black man with a record, employers would never trust us
Being a black man with a criminal record made it difficult for me to find employment
Couldn't find a job, no money to ride the bus, but
I couldn't afford transportation to search for employment
I had no damn direction, my mind was stuck in a fluster
I was lost and confused without any clear path forward
Had to move the big bags, mask up for the quick grabs
I resorted to illegal activity to make ends meet
Michael Jordan on the waist, .45, yeah, I grip that
I carried a gun for protection while participating in illegal activity
Didn't know it had kick-back
I didn't realize the gun would have a recoil
Dropped at first, didn't hit jack
I missed with the gun on my first attempt
Glad my niggas had me or I woulda been seein' pitch black
My friends helped to protect me and prevent me from getting hurt or killed
Been there, did this, did that nigga, I seen so much pain
I have experienced various hardships and suffering
Calls up mama on that saying 'Sorry, couldn't pay'
I had to apologize to my mother for not being financially independent enough to support myself
Woulda, shoulda, coulda, might just work but it's too late
Reflecting on my past actions, I regret not making better choices
Facing all these demons, it's reflections in my face, yeah
I am confronting the consequences of my past mistakes
Lyrics © LUSH MUSIC LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., EMPIRE PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Angelo Callari, Carter James Bryson, David McDowell, Morae Ruffin, Thomas Horton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@morrayda1
STREET SERMONS Out Now: https://morray.lnk.to/StreetSermons
Let me know what you think IG/Tw: @morrayda1
@m3laninmonro3
This the one🔥🔥🔥
@codyenglish-silva113
Your music is so soulful I love it man keep up the good work
@LilSquirtThebest
Can i get a shout out your my idol
@dereck4187
1st off thanks for being a new artist with no features so we can get a sense of your artistry
@LilSquirtThebest
@@dereck4187 I had a feature with lil mosey bro
@KingMikeHall
From the opening piano keys you know it's a hit soon as the yung 🐐 touch it
@GHETTOTOAD
👊🏽 The keys put that melody pon a whole new level
@hudsonboyd4047
Factsssss i love the whole album n i can definitely relate to this song on so many levels this my favorite song on this album
@darshiragowans9264
True