If you’re a rapper from North Carolina, there is probably no one better to have as a mentor than J. Cole, who is pretty much the state’s most successful hip-hop artist. Just look at the boost signing to Dreamville gave Lute, while appearing on Dreamville’s Revenge Of The Dreamers III compilation almost certainly helped DaBaby become one of the most recognizable Carolinians in 2019 (although he also blew that shot, going from famous to infamous almost overnight thanks to his refusal to apologize for his Rolling Loud comments).
But, looking up to J. Cole can also be pretty demanding. Just ask Morray, who appeared with Cole on The Off-Season track “My Life” and toured with him last year. Since then, it’s clear the two have kept in touch, with the younger artist looking for advice on his upcoming debut album. However, it’s apparently difficult to meet his exacting standards; as Morray told HipHopDX, Cole’s encouraged him to scrap “hella” albums in the search for the perfect introductory project (at least, for those who missed 2021’s solid Street Sermons).
“I’ve presented hella albums,” he said. “I’ve been ready for an album, don’t get me wrong, I’ve been ready. I’ve presented to Cole, he told me, ‘N****, you’re not ready.’ Do you know how hard it is to take that from somebody you look up to? I think I’m done and you’re telling me I’m not? Back to the drawing board? But I appreciate him because this album is staying.” Hopefully, all that hard work pays off soon. You can watch Morray’s interview with HipHopDX below.
