Everything You Need To Know About Soulja Boy:
Soulja Boy is the stage name of American rapper and record producer DeAndre Cortez Way. He has multiple songs, mixtapes, and albums to his name. Soulja Boy, a passionate artist, and seasoned businessman began his musical career as a young boy when he moved to Mississippi and his father equipped him with a recording studio. There, the young entertainer discovered all of the necessary contacts to develop a professional musical career.
After successfully marketing his music online and launching his Stacks on Deck Entertainment label in 2004, he relocated to Atlanta to follow industry leads and begin performing live. His breakthrough hit, 'Crank That (Soulja Boy),' landed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 2007.
The track later reached number one in the United States for seven weeks in a row. He had released three studio albums and one independent album as of January 2017. The RIAA certified his debut studio album platinum.
Childhood & Early Life :
Soulja Boy was born on July 28, 1990, in Chicago, Illinois, USA as DeAndre Cortez Way. Way moved to Atlanta with his family when he was six years old.
Way was inspired to pursue a musical career by a love of music. At the age of 14, his father equipped him with a recording studio in Batesville, Mississippi, allowing him to pursue his musical dreams.
Career :
- Soulja Boy's first musical success came over the internet. In November 2005, he submitted a song on the website SoundClick, which received great feedback. This prompted him to create accounts for his musical endeavors on YouTube and Myspace.
- His debut album, titled 'Unsigned & Still Major: Da Album Before da Album,' was released in March 2007. In May 2007, the single 'Crank That' had its first exposure. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot RingMasters charts in the United States, and it was even featured on the television show 'Entourage.' Following the popularity of the track, he signed a recording contract with Interscope Records.
- Soulja Boy's big label debut album, 'Souljaboytellem.com,' was released in October 2007. It charted at number four on both the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It was followed by 'iSouljaBoyTellem' in December 2008. The second studio album was regarded poorly.
- He was dubbed a one-hit wonder boy until his third single, 'Turn My Swag On,' silenced his detractors. The song reached number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the US Rap Charts. During this period, he released various mixtapes, including 'Paranormal Activity,' 'Dat Piff,' and 'Cortez.'
- Soulja Boy's streak of failed releases continues, with his third studio album, 'The DeAndre Way,' selling the fewest copies to date. However, its first song, 'Pretty Boy Swag,' peaked at 34 on the Billboard Hot 100, six on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and five on the Rap Songs list.
- Beginning in 2011, he published a series of mixtapes, beginning with 'Smooky,' then '1UP,' and finally 'Juice.' Later, he released the 'Bernaurd Arnault EP' mixtape, which was followed by '21: EP' and 'The Last Crown.' He released a few additional mixtapes before the end of the year, including 'Supreme,' 'Skate Boy,' and 'Gold On Deck.'
- In 2012, Soulja Boy released a series of mixtapes including ‘50/13’, ‘Mario & Domo vs. the World’, ‘OBEY’ and ‘Double Cup City. In September 2012, he released the sequel mixtape ‘Juice II’ which became his most-downloaded mixtape. He followed it up with mixtapes ‘Young & Flexin’ and ‘LOUD’, the latter being his first mixtape distributed on iTunes.
- In 2011, Soulja Boy announced that he was working on an album ‘Promise’. However, delays in releasing the album led him to release the mixtape ‘Foreign’ in February 2013. Following the expiry of his record deal with Interscope Records, he signed a contract with Cash Money Records. Re-titling his album ‘USA DRE’, he released the first single from the album, ‘Handsome’.
- On March 2013, he released the EP ‘All Black and soon came up with the mixtape ‘Foreign 2’. A series of mixtapes and EPs were released later including ‘King Soulja’ and his second EP ‘Cuban Link’, mixtapes Life After Fame’, ‘23’, and ‘The King’.
- Soulja Boy's mixtape releases continued in 2014, with 'King Soulja 2' released in March. He then released his first digital album, 'Super Dope.' Following that, he wrote and sang on Nicki Minaj's promotional track 'Yasss Bish,' which earned great feedback from music reviewers.
- He released his second digital album, 'King Soulja 3,' on iTunes in June 2014. Gudda Gudda and Rich The Kid both made appearances. He then released the mixtape 'Young Millionaire,' which included Sean Kingston, Cap.1, and Rich The Kid.
- He later secured a new label deal with Universal Music Group in November 2014. He also revealed details about his next projects, including his fourth studio album, 'Loyalty.'
- Soulja Boy's fourth studio album, 'Loyalty,' was released in 2015. Aside from it, he released singles, mixtapes, and a digital album. He then released the single 'Whippin My Wrist,' which peaked at number 48 on Billboard's trending 140 charts. Following that, he released several mixtapes, including 'Swag The Mixtape,' '25 The Movie,' and 'M & M: Money and Music.' In July, he released his digital album 'King Soulja 4'.
- Soulja Boy's fifth and sixth digital albums, as well as various mixtapes, singles, and videos, were released in 2016. 'Stack on Deck' was his fifth digital album, while 'Better Late Than Never was his sixth. He had numerous songs recorded, including 'Drop The Top,' 'Stephen Curry,' 'Day One,' 'Rockstar,' and 'Max Payne.' ‘Hit Them Folks’ and ‘I'm Up Now’ and mixtapes ‘Finesse EP’, ‘King Soulja 5’, ‘S. Beezy 2’, ‘King Soulja 6’, and ‘Ignorant Shit’.
Major Works :
Despite having several albums and mixtapes under his belt, Soulja Boy's finest work came with his first song, 'Crank That (Soulja Boy),' released in September 2007. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The track reached number one in the United States for seven weeks in a row. His debut studio album, 'Souljaboytellem.com,' was likewise a hit, reaching number four on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.
Awards & Achievements :
Soulja Boy won The top Hip-Hop Dance at the 2007 BET Hip-Hop Awards. The same year, he got the Ozone Award for 'Patiently Waiting: Mississippi.'