The two artists who connected in their home state over a decade ago reminisce together on MoRuff’s latest track
Rapper and songwriter MoRuff’s discography dates back to his 2011 debut album, Garden State of Mind: Ready to Live, released around the same time he came to know one Solana Rowe. MoRuff, born Moruf Adedayo Adewunmi, and Rowe, aka SZA, grew up in neighboring New Jersey towns. As she tells it in an Instagram caption celebrating their latest collaboration on MoRuf’s new single and music video, “PT Cruiser,” their relationship was formative.
“Without our car freestyles in my mom’s driveway there’d be no me !” she wrote under a post featuring a snippet of the music video, directed by their friend Joshua Kissi. “U inspire me to be a more loving human everyday . Any thing for big Moo !! Das Reggie husband das NOVA n RAVI DADDY !! Das a BLACK KANG right dere !! Love you gang PT cruiser out NAOW #jerseyshit.”
The song itself is a soothing, nostalgic ode to adolescent memories and young love, where both artists dance between R&B and rap. It was produced by Jesse Boykins III, Nate Bajar, MeLo-X, and Matt Cody. The soft, communal video mirrors its reflective mood, featuring both shots of MoRuf, SZA, and friends like fellow artist Topaz Jones as adults, and vignettes of young children with their style. “Cooler, wish I never knew ya/We were in the backseat of your momma PT Cruiser,” MoRuf sings on the hook. Later, he raps, “Talkin’ bout in like ’03/Beef and broccoli, no cold feet/Bumping Jill, and we Goldie.” Hearkening back to those driveway freestyle sessions, SZA spits a few bars, like “I just chill and rap to the beat/Let them other bitches chase the meat/I don’t know the taste of defeat/Find my way, find my way.”
MoRuf replied to SZA’s Instagram post celebrating their musical reunion sentimentally, writing, “Sos why you make a nigga cry on a Wednesday evening like that. Day1 talking A1. Springfield Ave! They wasn’t there. You one of the realest human beings I know. Thank you for creating and sharing this piece of art with me. This bigger than us. This for Jersey!!! #BigJersey.”