At first listen, Tre Williams' rags-to-riches story sounds more like one you'd expect to hear from a battle-scarred rapper, not an up-and-coming R&B star. The product of Daytona Beach, Florida's rough Pine Haven projects who overcame bullets, booze and a string of bad luck to sign with the most respected MC in the game-Nas-Tre Williams has the kind of ethereal voice that stops people dead in their tracks. And the real-life wisdom he imparts through his heartfelt lyrics stays with you long after you've turned off the radio. Tre's a soul survivor- an aural ambassador of the highest caliber. And the time has come for him to share his superior musical prowess with the world.

A member of an elite class of naturally-gifted R&B singers and songwriters-Tre stands on the shoulders of such legends as Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder-this 27-year-old prodigy and former special guest on "Amateur Night at the Apollo" is a true soul enigma. Not only does he shun the all-too-predictable 'bump and grind' formula many of his peers lean on, he basks in the glow of the creative void they've left. "I can take a normal conversation and make it into a song," he shares, adding that he writes all of his own material. "Eighty percent of what I sing about is real life." Tre's story-telling skills-vivid, gut-wrenching and real-rival those of even his top-selling contemporaries, as he adeptly tackles difficult topics like domestic violence and child abuse. And if that weren't impressive enough, his multi-octave range helps round out his R&B triple-threat status.

Making his professional debut in 1999 on the hook of rap star Petey Pablo's title song "Diary of a Sinner," Tre's memorable performance quickly turned him into an underground favorite. It wasn't long before the rest of the music-industry came knocking, with Tre eventually recruited to perform with stars like Gerald Levert and Keyshia Cole.

He also recorded his first unofficial single with rap heavyweight Styles P-the much-heralded "I-95"-which, in addition to earning him an incredible buzz, was noted by The Source magazine as a "promising fat-tape exclusive."

Soon after Tre's national debut came a memorable encounter that would change his life. Amidst the clamoring of potential offers from other labels, a friend of Tre's passed a CD of his unreleased material to the president of Nas' Ill Will Records, and to his surprise, Nas called him soon after. "Nas said he wanted to meet with me that very night, and that he would come to me," Tre recalls, laughing. "They came to my house and offered me a deal."

As fate would have it, much of Tre's personal philosophies are in sync with the social consciousness his mentor is famous for. Therefore it's not too surprising that he's packing considerable lyrical heat on his debut album, appropriately titled” The Depth of my soul vol.1”

On the song "Michelle, Michelle," the singer channels Teddy Pendergrass, breathing life into the story of a young girl lost. Expertly he wields his haunting vocals to create a vivid, lasting impression. "I was driving to work one morning and a story came across the news wire about a little girl who had been molested by a family member," Tre recounts somberly. "And no one was doing anything about it. I felt the world needed to hear her story because there are so many Michelle’s out there-maybe I could help one."

In "Saw Him in My Eyes," Tre describes a little boy who's struggling to connect with his mom, who's heartbroken over the pain his father has caused. Fans will fight to keep the lumps from rising in their throats as Tre tenderly croons about the little boy's deep loneliness as he watches his mom succumb to alcoholism.

And of course, an R&B album is not complete without a few, um, light-hearted numbers too."Ready to Fall in Love" is a beautiful ode to the special lady in his life-an assertion of his readiness to take that next step in their relationship.

The buoyant, club-friendly track "Oh Yeah" steals a sample from Tre's childhood, the patty-cake rhyme "My back ache/my pants too tight/my booty shake/from left to right." It's an up-tempo number that has the effect it intends to-it's fast, fun and effervescent.

Not to mention engaging, smartly-written numbers like "Shotgun," about the gun he keeps in the front seat of his ride, and "Who Does He Think He Is," a song about the dangers of domestic violence.

An impressive listen from start to finish, Tre's “The Depth of My Soul Vol. 1” is definitely one the ultimate R&B connoisseur must own.