Soulja Boy

For the fictional characters, see Soldier Boy.
"Souljah Boy" redirects here. For the Cleveland-based rapper, see Mo Thugs.
Soulja Boy
Way in an interview with Bandai Namco Entertainment at E3 2018
Way in an interview with Bandai Namco Entertainment at E3 2018
Background information
Birth nameDeAndre Cortez Way[1][2]
Also known as
  • Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
  • Big Draco
Born (1990-07-28) July 28, 1990 (age 34)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
OriginAtlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • record producer[3]
  • actor
Years active2004–present
Labels
Works
Children1
Websitesouljaboy.live Edit this at Wikidata

DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990),[1][2] known professionally as Soulja Boy (formerly Soulja Boy Tell 'Em), is an American rapper and record producer from Atlanta, Georgia. He rose to prominence with his self-released 2007 debut single, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)", which peaked the Billboard Hot 100 for seven non-consecutive weeks.[4] After its commercial re-release by Collipark Music, an imprint of Interscope Records, the song and its follow-up, "Soulja Girl", both preceded the release of his debut studio album, Souljaboytellem.com (2007). Despite unfavorable critical reception, it peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and spawned the single "Yahhh!."

His second album, iSouljaBoyTellem (2008)—supported by the Billboard Hot 100-top 20 singles "Turn My Swag On" and "Kiss Me thru the Phone" (featuring Sammie)—was met with moderate commercial reception and a further decline in critical reception. Way was listed at number 18 on the Forbes list of Hip-Hop Cash Kings of 2010, as he earned US$7 million that year.[5] His third album, The DeAndre Way (2010)—supported by the top 40 single "Pretty Boy Swag"—saw a steeper decline in commercial reception, leading him to part ways with Interscope in favor of an independent career.

Way is noted for his pioneering use of grassroots social media and digital marketing strategies during his mainstream popularity.[6] Outside of recording, he has pursued side ventures including video game development, record production for other artists, and his record label Stacks on Deck Entertainment, through which he has signed rappers including Lil B and Riff Raff. He has received a Grammy Award nomination, as well as three BET Award and four Teen Choice Award nominations.[7]

  1. ^ a b "Soulja Boy Tell'em Ready To Drop Paranormal Activity Mixtape". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 30, 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Soulja Boy Burns Calories, Boosts Street Cred With Arrest". E! Online. October 9, 2009.
  3. ^ "How Soulja Boy & Myspace Brought Hip-Hop into the Internet Era - DJBooth". Djbooth. January 16, 2019.
  4. ^ HipHopDX (November 12, 2008). "Soulja Boy, Will.i.am, Akon Take YouTube Live". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on August 18, 2013. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
  5. ^ RealTalkNY (August 17, 2010). "Forbes List The 2010 Hip-Hop Cash Kings (Jay-Z Remains King Of Kings) | RealTalkNY". Realtalkny.uproxx.com. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  6. ^ "Soulja Boy is the OG Growth Hacker". December 16, 2016.
  7. ^ "Albums That Killed the Artist's Career".