Soultru is an artist originally form Davenport, Iowa, now based in Quad Cities. About two years ago, he released an EP by the name of Backpack. Always meaning this to be part of a bigger project, Soultru now comes back with volume two in the series, Backpack: Continued.

Now, if you’re reading a hip hop blog like this one, when you hear the word “backpack,” you’re probably going to think of some leftfield beats and wordy, nerdy rappers. However, that is not why Soultru is using the word “backpack” for this project. The reason is that it’s a nickname he picked up when he was a young man working in the service industry in Davenport, trying to make ends meet. He didn’t own a car, so people often saw him walking around town, going to and from work with his backpack on. As for his style, it’s a blend of hip hop and R&B, along the lines of someone like Anthony Hamilton or John Legend. For this particular EP, he teamed up with producers wenatchee, Errol Hem, FVNTVNV, and GRZ to round out his sound. Soultru has a nice rasp to his voice and a good ear for melody, and the entire EP has a really gentle and subtle touch to the music. It’s a very open and personal EP, as Soultru opens up about his struggles as an artist to get on his feet and find those that believed in his journey, especially growing up in a smaller city where he often felt like everyone’s token Black friend. It’s the type of music that is very easy to form a personal connection to, and feel like you’ve really gotten to know Soultru over the course of these five songs, because he’s so open as a lyricist and a passionate singer.

This isn’t the type of music that’s going to blow you away at first, but if you’re looking for something more subtle, interesting, and soulful, Soultru has got you covered. He’s put a lot of himself into Backpack: Continued. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another two years for the next volume.