Three weeks removed from the release of his debut mixtape Street Sermons, North Carolina crooner/rapper Morray made his television debut last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, blazing through a medley performance of lead single “Quicksand” and mixtape cut “Can’t Use Me.” Amid dystopian staging featuring a burning car and various debris in the background and embellishing the soulful production with a live band, Morray quickly proved to be a polished performer, even though it was pre-recorded.
Morray’s tape arrived on April 28 in the middle a tough week for releases, as that New Music Friday brought a swarm of standout projects from the likes of AG Club, The Alchemist, and DJ Khaled. However, that turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the newcomer, as his No.41 debut on the Billboard 200 looks all the more impressive in hindsight. “Quicksand,” which peaked at No.65 on Hot 100, also drew attention to Morray’s work, garnering cosigns from fellow Carolinians DaBaby and J. Cole.
The “Trenches” rapper’s star continued to rise this past weekend as he was revealed as one of the features on Cole’s new album The Off-Season, singing an interpolation of Pharoahe Monch’s chorus from Styles P’s 2002 single “The Life.”
Watch Morray sing “Quicksand” and “Can’t Use Me” from his debut album on Jimmy Kimmel Live! above.