On his 2025 album Long Story Short, gospel rapper Morray tries his best to succinctly summarize the four years between its arrival and 2021’s Street Sermons. Through clear-eyed storytelling, soaring melodies, and soulful vocal chops set against slapping drums, Morray describes the strength it took to come through with this latest collection of street classics in the face of heartbreak, depression, and creative anguish. He’s vulnerable while describing the pain that buried him after his breakthrough debut, but it’s this openness that makes the reward all the sweeter. He likens his struggles to living aquatically on opener “Breathe Underwater” before outlining the dueling voices in his head on the surprisingly peppy and light-footed “Breakthrough.” It’s here that the North Carolina-born rapper showcases melodic abilities, crooning with the confidence of an R&B veteran as he describes battling his toughest opponent: himself. He sings, “I've learned ways to help myself get through/I’ve had to break through, I thought I was through.” It turns out Morray’s got plenty left to give.