Quicksand

Album: Streets Sermons (2020)
Charted: 65
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Fayetteville, North Carolina rapper/singer Morray turned to music as his escape after serving time in juvenile detention and jail. Morray was on the brink of giving up his rap career when manager Moe Shalizi got in touch with him after coming across this song on YouTube.

    Through Shalizi, Morray signed with Pick Six Records and released "Quicksand" as his first single on October 30, 2020.
  • This sung-rapped autobiographical anthem finds Morray comparing his tough upbringing on the Fayetteville streets to quicksand.

    Since a jit stood tall with a kickstand
    Thinking of a plan to get quick bands
    Falling in deep with the quicksand


    Since his youth, Morray has wanted to make quick money to escape his life in the hood, but he found himself trapped, unable to find a way out.
  • Asked by Billboard what inspired "Quicksand," Morray explained the songs he'd been making were about the standard rap tropes of cars, clothes, money and women, but because he'd never been wealthy or successful himself, he had to "watch videos and listen to music to figure out how to talk about it."

    One day, Morray's wife told him the music he was writing wasn't him. "This is a Chris Brown or a Drake or somebody that's already out there," she said. Both "Quicksand" and "Big Decisions" came out of that conversation, which Morray found easier writing because his lyrics actually happened to him.
  • Morray co-wrote the song with the track's producers, Ant Chamberlain and Hagan. One of Moe Shalizi's other clients, star electronic producer Marshmello, served as the mixing engineer.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Ian Astbury of The Cult

Ian Astbury of The CultSongwriter Interviews

The Cult frontman tells who the "Fire Woman" is, and talks about performing with the new version of The Doors.

00s Music Quiz 1

00s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

Do you know the girl singer on Eminem's "Stan"? If so, this quiz is for you.

Michael Schenker

Michael SchenkerSongwriter Interviews

The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.

George Clinton

George ClintonSongwriter Interviews

When you free your mind, your ass may follow, but you have to make sure someone else doesn't program it while it's wide open.

Lita Ford

Lita FordSongwriter Interviews

Lita talks about how they wrote songs in The Runaways, and how she feels about her biggest hit being written by somebody else.

Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."