By releasing multiple quality projects and expanding his event production company the Smoke Out, J Soulja has truly established himself as a pillar of Austin’s rap scene in the five years since he dropped From the Soul. His latest effort, FROM THE SOUL II, displays the conviction of a battle-tested leader over mostly smooth instrumentals. Back-to-back tracks “BLESSED” and previously released single “UNDER THE SUN” – the title’s double meaning in honor of his late son – portray a reflective father after persevering through hardship. While the first FTS professed an ATX takeover (“What It Is”), songs on its sequel such as “FLAVOR” and “WYA?!” uphold the 4Life4Ever Entertainment founder’s longtime desire to channel the South as a whole. Two distinctly different verses on the former track directly salute the Southern culture he grew up on: He employs nice wordplay in the first to reference past Atlanta rap luminaries before pitching down his voice à la Houston in a solid second. Still, he punctuates the second stanza with an omnipresent message: “Know my heart right in Austin, Texas/ Right here where I hog the lane.” With FROM THE SOUL II, J Soulja once again proves there’s ways to properly represent Austin while also paying homage to other Southern cities.
J Soulja
FROM THE SOUL II (4Life4Ever)
This article appears in April 18 • 2025.
