Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
Encyclopedia
DeAndre Cortez Way better known by his stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...

 Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...

, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

, entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...

, and internet personality.

In September 2007, his single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)
Crank That (Soulja Boy)
"Crank That " is the debut single by American rapper Soulja Boy from his debut album souljaboytellem.com. It spent seven weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 2007. The song is recognized by its looping steel pan riff. The song was originally produced on the program FL Studio before...

" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

. The single was initially self-published on the internet, and it later became a number-one hit in the United States for seven non-consecutive weeks starting in September 2007. On August 17 Way was listed at #18 on the Forbes list
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...

 of Hip-Hop Cash Kings of 2010 earning $7 million for that year.

Way has currently released three studio albums and one independent album: his debut studio album Souljaboytellem.com
Souljaboytellem.com
-Chart positions:-Samples:The bulk of the album was made utilizing the stock samples that come included with the program FL Studio. Many of these stock sounds are samples from other songs, like the open high-hat used on "Yahhh!", which is sampled from "Impeach the President" by The Honey Drippers...

 (2007) was certified platinum by the RIAA. However, his next two albums, iSouljaBoyTellem
ISouljaBoyTellem
- Charts :...

 (2008) and The DeAndre Way
The DeAndre Way
The DeAndre Way is the third studio album by American rapper Soulja Boy. It was released on November 27, 2010. He also planned to release his novel, Teenage Millionaire, on the album's release day...

 (2010) did not match the commercial success of his debut, the latter only selling 100,000 copies, despite the success of several singles across both albums, such as "Kiss Me Thru the Phone
Kiss Me Thru the Phone
"Kiss Me Thru the Phone" is a song from hip-hop artist Soulja Boy released as the second single from his 2008 album iSouljaBoyTellem. It is currently the best-selling single from the album, reaching #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the U.S. Rap Charts, the top ten in the United Kingdom and...

" and "Turn My Swag On
Turn My Swag On
"Turn My Swag On" is the third single by rapper Soulja Boy from his 2008 album iSouljaBoyTellem. It was performed at the 2009 BET Awards.The song was initially released on iTunes on November 26, 2008, before being officially released on January 26, 2009....

" (iSouljaBoyTellem) and "Pretty Boy Swag
Pretty Boy Swag
"Pretty Boy Swag" is the first official single released by Soulja Boy from his third studio album The DeAndre Way. The song was produced by G5 Kids and is thought to be about Wesley "CaliSwagg" Washington. Pretty Boy Swag has peaked at number #1 on Atlanta radio stations Atlanta Radio Hot v103 and...

" (The DeAndre Way).

On October 18, 2011, Soulja Boy released his documentary bio pic, Soulja Boy: The Movie
Soulja Boy: The Movie
Soulja Boy: The Movie is a 2011 film that documents the rise of American hip-hop artist DeAndre Cortez Way . The film was produced by Rugged Entertainment and directed by filmmaker Peter Spirer....

.

As of 2011, Way has confirmed he is working on his fourth studio album, entitled Promise
Promise (Soulja Boy album)
Promise is the upcoming fourth studio album by American rapper Soulja Boy. , it is scheduled to be released on Valentine's Day, 2012, after the debut of the documentary, Soulja Boy: The Movie, which was released on October 18. It is set to be released through Stacks on Deck Entertainment, Collipark...

, which will be released in late 2011 or early 2012.

Early life

DeAndre Way was born in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

 and moved to Atlanta at age 6, where he became interested in rap music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...

.

Career beginnings

At age 14, he moved to Batesville, Mississippi
Batesville, Mississippi
Batesville is a city in Panola County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,113 at the 2000 census.-History:The Land upon which present day Batesville is situated originally belonged to a Chickasaw Indian called Ish-Sho-Nu-Nah...

, with his father, who provided a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...

 for Way to explore his musical ambitions. In November 2005, Way posted his songs on the website SoundClick
SoundClick
SoundClick is a music-based social community. It offers bands, artists, and music labels a platform for self-promotion. Songs can be streamed, downloaded in MP3 format, sold through the store, or licensed to others. SoundClick compiles daily charts for various genres, based on how many times a...

. Following positive reviews on the site, he then established his own web pages on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

 and MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....

. In March 2007, he recorded "Crank That
Crank That (Soulja Boy)
"Crank That " is the debut single by American rapper Soulja Boy from his debut album souljaboytellem.com. It spent seven weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 2007. The song is recognized by its looping steel pan riff. The song was originally produced on the program FL Studio before...

" and released his first independent album Unsigned & Still Major: Da Album Before da Album, followed by a low-budget video filmed demonstrating the "Crank That" dance. By the end of May 2007, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" received its first airplay and Way met with Mr. Collipark
Mr. Collipark
Michael Crooms, better known by his stage name Mr. Collipark and also known as DJ Smurf, is a hip hop producer and the president of his own Atlanta-based record label, Collipark Records....

 to sign a deal with Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

.

2007-08: Souljaboytellem.com

On August 12, 2007, the song appeared on the Emmy-award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...

 winning HBO series Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...

, and by September 1, it topped the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 and Hot RingMasters
Hot RingMasters
Hot RingMasters is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. First published in the December 9, 2006 issue , it is compiled by Nielsen Mobile's RingScan service, which collects the amount of ringtones sold each week...

 charts. Way's major label debut album Souljaboytellem.com
Souljaboytellem.com
-Chart positions:-Samples:The bulk of the album was made utilizing the stock samples that come included with the program FL Studio. Many of these stock sounds are samples from other songs, like the open high-hat used on "Yahhh!", which is sampled from "Impeach the President" by The Honey Drippers...

, which was reportedly recorded using just the demo version of FL Studio
FL Studio
FL Studio is a digital audio workstation developed by the Belgian company Image-Line. FL Studio features a graphical user interface based on a pattern-based music sequencer...

, was released in the United States on October 2, peaking at #4 on both the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...

 charts.

For the 50th Grammy Awards
50th Grammy Awards
The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on February 10, 2008. Kanye West received the most nominations, with eight. Amy Winehouse was the big winner, winning a total of five awards. Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters won Album of the Year,...

, Way was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
Grammy Award for Best Rap Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Song was first awarded in 2004. It is a songwriting award given to all who wrote the lyrics and music of the song. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year...

 with "Crank That (Soulja Boy)". He lost to Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

's and T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...

's "Good Life
Good Life (Kanye West song)
This article is about the Kanye West song. For the OneRepublic song, see Good Life ."Good Life" is the third single from American rapper Kanye West's album Graduation. The song features R&B artist T-Pain, and uses sampled keys from the song "P.Y.T. " as performed by Michael Jackson...

".

Souljaboytellem.com
Souljaboytellem.com
-Chart positions:-Samples:The bulk of the album was made utilizing the stock samples that come included with the program FL Studio. Many of these stock sounds are samples from other songs, like the open high-hat used on "Yahhh!", which is sampled from "Impeach the President" by The Honey Drippers...

 received a favorable review from Allmusic, but received mainly negative reviews from other sources such as Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

. Several reviewers credited Soulja Boy with spearheading a new trend in hip-hop, while speculating he will likely be a one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...

.

2008-09: iSouljaBoyTellem

The follow-up to souljaboytellem.com, iSouljaBoyTellem
ISouljaBoyTellem
- Charts :...

, was released on December 16, 2008, to negative critical reception. The first single from the album, "Bird Walk
Bird Walk
"Bird Walk" is the first single from Soulja Boy's 2008 album iSouljaBoyTellem. Soulja Boy performed the song at MTV's Made Head-to-Head Hip Hop Challenge with the contestants doing the "Bird Walk".-Song information:...

", peaked at #40 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

 chart and the top 20 on the Hot Rap Tracks
Hot Rap Tracks
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...

 chart it was performed on the first YouTube Live
YouTube Live
YouTube Live was a 2008 event streamed live on the Internet from San Francisco and Tokyo. It was hosted by a variety of YouTube celebrities, including The Black Eyed Peas rapper will.i.am, Tom Dickson of Will It Blend, Michael Buckley, The Happy Tree Friends, Fred, Smosh, Esmée Denters and singer...

 on November 22, 2008, with an introduction from MC Hammer
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell , better known by his stage name MC Hammer , is an American rapper, entertainer, business entrepreneur, dancer and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s...

. "Kiss Me Thru the Phone
Kiss Me Thru the Phone
"Kiss Me Thru the Phone" is a song from hip-hop artist Soulja Boy released as the second single from his 2008 album iSouljaBoyTellem. It is currently the best-selling single from the album, reaching #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the U.S. Rap Charts, the top ten in the United Kingdom and...

", with Sammie
Sammie
Sammie Bush , better known by Sammie, is an American soul and pop singer. He is best known for his hit, "I Like It" from his debut album, From the Bottom to the Top . He returned with his second studio album, Sammie in 2006...

, followed, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot Rap Tracks charts. Chris Brown was originally Way's first choice to sing the hook, but respectfully turned down the offer. Way then tried to do it on his own with Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune is a proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise off-key inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed singers to perform apparently perfectly tuned vocal...

 but he found it unacceptable. It sold over 2,000,000 digital copies in the United States, becoming his second song to reach the two million mark in downloads.

On January 26, 2009 Way released his third single "Turn My Swag On
Turn My Swag On
"Turn My Swag On" is the third single by rapper Soulja Boy from his 2008 album iSouljaBoyTellem. It was performed at the 2009 BET Awards.The song was initially released on iTunes on November 26, 2008, before being officially released on January 26, 2009....

". it topped the US Rap Charts and peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

. It has so far sold more than 1,000,000 digital downloads in the United States. It became Soulja Boy's third song to sell 1 million or more downloads.

2009-2010: The DeAndre Way

The DeAndre Way is Way's third studio album, Way has stated that the album is intended to be his most personal and successful album thus far. When speaking on possible collaborations, he stated he wished to work with artists such as Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...

, Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...

, and Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

, Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...

, among others. The lead single from the album, "POW", was released in January 2009 but failed to garner success and was dubbed a promo single. On October 30, 2009 Way released three mixtapes Paranormal Activity, Dat Piff & Cortez. Then it was announced on February 18, 2010 that the first single from the album was gone be "All Black Everything" but it was cancelled & was just put on his promotional mixtape Legendary. The album was titled "The DeAndre Way" but was changed in early 2010 to Dre with a commercial video snippet for "Do It Big" as the first single but it was cancelled as well. However it was reverted back to The DeAndre Way in July 2010.

But on June 8, 2010, the official lead single from the album was "Pretty Boy Swag
Pretty Boy Swag
"Pretty Boy Swag" is the first official single released by Soulja Boy from his third studio album The DeAndre Way. The song was produced by G5 Kids and is thought to be about Wesley "CaliSwagg" Washington. Pretty Boy Swag has peaked at number #1 on Atlanta radio stations Atlanta Radio Hot v103 and...

". The single has reached #34 on the Billboard Hot 100, number six on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number five on the Billboard Rap Songs chart. The album's second single was due to be "Digital" but it was just used on his promotional mixtape Best Rapper. Then it was announced that "Speakers Going Hammer
Speakers Going Hammer
Speakers Going Hammer is the third official single from The DeAndre Way by American rapper Soulja Boy. The song features production by Boi-1da. The song was released to iTunes on October 19, 2010. The song peaked at #48 on the Hot R&B & Hip Hop tracks Billboard...

" was gone be the second single, but "Blowing Me Kisses" was released on August 31, 2010 as the second single instead. On October 13 Soulja Boy performed "Pretty Boy Swag
Pretty Boy Swag
"Pretty Boy Swag" is the first official single released by Soulja Boy from his third studio album The DeAndre Way. The song was produced by G5 Kids and is thought to be about Wesley "CaliSwagg" Washington. Pretty Boy Swag has peaked at number #1 on Atlanta radio stations Atlanta Radio Hot v103 and...

" & a snippet of his third single "Speakers Going Hammer
Speakers Going Hammer
Speakers Going Hammer is the third official single from The DeAndre Way by American rapper Soulja Boy. The song features production by Boi-1da. The song was released to iTunes on October 19, 2010. The song peaked at #48 on the Hot R&B & Hip Hop tracks Billboard...

". On October 19, 2010 Way finally released "Speakers Going Hammer
Speakers Going Hammer
Speakers Going Hammer is the third official single from The DeAndre Way by American rapper Soulja Boy. The song features production by Boi-1da. The song was released to iTunes on October 19, 2010. The song peaked at #48 on the Hot R&B & Hip Hop tracks Billboard...

" on iTunes the single peaked at #48 on the Hot R&B & Hip Hop tracks Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

. The DeAndre Way
The DeAndre Way
The DeAndre Way is the third studio album by American rapper Soulja Boy. It was released on November 27, 2010. He also planned to release his novel, Teenage Millionaire, on the album's release day...

 was released on November 30, 2010 it has so far has only sold 70,000 copies making this Way's lowest selling album. Soulja Boy was to be part of the Summerbeatz
Summerbeatz
Summerbeatz is a 2010 concert tour held in Australia featuring Flo Rida, Jay Sean, Akon, Ciara, Ja Rule and Travie McCoy with special guests Stan Walker and DJ Nino Brown.- Background :...

 tour held in Australia alongside Flo Rida
Flo Rida
Tramar Dillard , better known by his stage name Flo Rida , is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He released his debut album, Mail on Sunday, in March 2008. His debut single "Low", featuring T-Pain, was a #1 hit for ten weeks in United States in early 2008. Two other singles resulted from...

, Jay Sean and Travie McCoy
Travie McCoy
Travie Lazarus McCoy is an American singer and rapper. He is the lead vocalist of the alternative hip-hop band Gym Class Heroes. He released his debut solo album Lazarus on June 8, 2010....

 in November 2010, but in lieu of his current album release date Soulja Boy had declined the offer & just embarked on his Who They Want tour.

2011-present: Mixtapes and Promise

On January 22, Way released his first mixtape of 2011 Smooky which cover featured a cartoon version of Way on a bicycle doing a 360. Then On March 17, 2011 Way released the mixtape 1up which cover was based on the Naruto
Naruto
is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. The plot tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, an adolescent ninja who constantly searches for recognition and aspires to become the Hokage, the ninja in his village who is acknowledged as the leader and the strongest of...

 anime Way stated "If I was in a video game, this mixtape would advance me to the next level with an extra life. Power up with the new offering". On April 20, 2011 Way released his mixtape Juice which cover was based on the Juice
Juice (film)
Juice is a 1992 American crime drama film that stars rapper Tupac Shakur and Omar Epps. Additional cast members include Jermaine "Huggy" Hopkins, Khalil Kain, Samuel L. Jackson, and features cameo appearances by Queen Latifah, EPMD, Special Ed, Ed Lover, Doctor Dré, Flex Alexander, Fab Five...

 the movie Way stated he would also released a mini movie of his own to go along with the mixtape Way stated that he was headed to greatness with the mixtape. In September 2011, Way confirmed he is working on a new album, called Promise
Promise (Soulja Boy album)
Promise is the upcoming fourth studio album by American rapper Soulja Boy. , it is scheduled to be released on Valentine's Day, 2012, after the debut of the documentary, Soulja Boy: The Movie, which was released on October 18. It is set to be released through Stacks on Deck Entertainment, Collipark...

, which will be released in October. Way also released the cover & title of his second independent album via Twitter, entitled "Skate Boy", which he said would be available in stores November 1, also via twitter.

SODMG Entertainment

Way founded his record label "Stacks on Deck Entertainment" in 2004. While Way was signed under Interscope
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

 and Collipark Music
Mr. Collipark
Michael Crooms, better known by his stage name Mr. Collipark and also known as DJ Smurf, is a hip hop producer and the president of his own Atlanta-based record label, Collipark Records....

, he claimed that his label had distribution deals with Interscope, Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...

, and Koch.

Current artists
  • Soulja Boy (Interscope
    Interscope Records
    Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

    /Collipark Music
    Mr. Collipark
    Michael Crooms, better known by his stage name Mr. Collipark and also known as DJ Smurf, is a hip hop producer and the president of his own Atlanta-based record label, Collipark Records....

    /SODMG)(CEO)
  • Ja-Bar (Universal Motown/Collipark Music
    Mr. Collipark
    Michael Crooms, better known by his stage name Mr. Collipark and also known as DJ Smurf, is a hip hop producer and the president of his own Atlanta-based record label, Collipark Records....

    /SODMG)
  • Arab (Boss Money/SODMG)
  • KillaCam (SODMG)
  • 350 (SODMG)
  • Rashad (SODMG)
  • Antonio aka Tony The Deity (SODMG)
  • J-Money aka J. Futuristic (SODMG)
  • Spinning 9 (SODMG/SODMG Germany)
  • Calico Jonez (SODMG)
  • Riff Raff (SODMG)
  • Young Sam (SODMG)


DJ's/Producers
  • Soulja Boy
  • DJ Whoogie
  • G5Kids
  • Kwony Cash
  • R3$ource

Record production

Way also produces records, including his own. In 2009 Way produced V.I.C.
V.I.C.
Victor Grimmy , better known by his stage name V.I.C., is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. His hit single, "Get Silly", reached #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2008.-Background:...

's single "Get Silly
Get Silly
"Get Silly" is a song by American rapper V.I.C. from his album Beast, produced by Mr. Collipark, Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, and Salih and Tomar Williams of Carnival Beatz. "Get Silly" was certified gold by the RIAA on November 13, 2008 for sales of over 500,000 copies.-Music video:The video features...

" which went certified Gold & Bow Wow
Bow Wow
Shad Gregory Moss , better known by his stage name Bow Wow , is an American rapper and actor. As Lil' Bow Wow, he released his first album, Beware of Dog in 2000 at age 13, which was followed by Doggy Bag 2001...

's single "Marco Polo
Marco Polo (song)
"Marco Polo" is a single released by Bow Wow for his album New Jack City II, but ended up not making the album because Bow Wow had a feud with Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, but was available as a Wal-Mart Deluxe Edition bonus track. The song was produced by Young Sity and Soulja Boy Tell 'Em.The album...

". Way beats often contain the beginning lines "Soulja Boy Tell 'em" But as of late Way has produced beats without using the lines. Also in 2009 Way was also supposed to been producing for Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

's fourth studio album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy & Kanye was supposed to been producing for Ways third studio album The DeAndre Way
The DeAndre Way
The DeAndre Way is the third studio album by American rapper Soulja Boy. It was released on November 27, 2010. He also planned to release his novel, Teenage Millionaire, on the album's release day...

 but for unknown reasons neither of them used each other's beats. On May 13, 2011 Way stated that he had produced & submitted beats for 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...

's fifth studio album

Fashion designing

On March 5, 2008 Way released his official clothing line of S.O.D clothing. Then also in 2008 Way released his own brand of the popular shoe line entitled "Yums".

Acting career

In January 7, 2009 Soulja Boy announced that he was supposed to been releasing his own cartoon entitled Soulja Boy: The Animated Series but only one episode was ever released. On April 22, 2011 Way announced that he would be making his acting debut playing the main role as Bishop on the Juice
Juice (film)
Juice is a 1992 American crime drama film that stars rapper Tupac Shakur and Omar Epps. Additional cast members include Jermaine "Huggy" Hopkins, Khalil Kain, Samuel L. Jackson, and features cameo appearances by Queen Latifah, EPMD, Special Ed, Ed Lover, Doctor Dré, Flex Alexander, Fab Five...

 remake & that it would air on BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...

 in sometime. On July 21, 2011 Way released the trailer to his upcoming documentary about his life entitled Soulja Boy: The Movie that was released on October 18, 2011.

Legal issues

On December 9, 2007, Way was sued by William Lyons (a.k.a. Souljah Boy of Mo Thugs Family
Mo Thugs Family
Mo Thugs was an American hip hop collective from Cleveland, Ohio, formed and led by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Together, the Mo Thugs collective released four studio albums from 1996 to 2003.-History:...

) who created the stage name "Souljah Boy" in 1996.

On October 7, 2009, Way was arrested on one count of obstruction, a misdemeanor, for running from police when he'd been ordered to stop. The rapper was released on $550 bond.

In May 2011, Way and his labels were sued by a local Pennsylvania promoter for failing to make promised payments in connection with a rescheduled concert.

On October 18, 2011, Way was traveling west on I-20 in Carroll County, Georgia
Carroll County, Georgia
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 87,268. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 111,954...

 with four other men when their vehicle was pulled over for a vehicle equipment violation. The police officer who made the stop searched the vehicle and found more than five ounces of marijuana. Way was arrested and released on bond during the same day.

Victim of robbery and assault

On December 30, 2008, Way was robbed and assaulted in his home. Initial reports indicated that the robbers were six masked men with AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...

s and pistols but on December 31, 2008, video clips surfaced on the Internet of two masked men claiming sole credit for the crime. Soulja Boy described the incident to MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...

 a month later: He had come home very late at night after attending an album release party and was recording songs with friends when the robbers came in pointing their guns.

Family tragedies

On the night of March 22, 2011, Way's little brother Deion Jenkins was killed in a car crash. Then on March 24, 2011 Way's older brother threatened to commit suicide.

Controversies

Way's music has been banned from some school dances for sexual or violent content and/or innuendos. However, he has denied these claims. In the original YouTube video for "Shootout", Soulja Boy demonstrates his dance while holding a handgun in each hand and pretending to shoot into the audience.

Nas

On February 25, 2008, Way said in an interview that "Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...

 killed hip hop and his own career". Way later apologized for his comments.

Ice-T

In June 2008, on DJ Cisco's Urban Legend mixtape, Ice-T
ICE-T
* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...

 told Way to "eat a dick" and criticized Way for "killing hip-hop" and his song "Crank That" for being "garbage" compared to the works of other hip-hop artists such as Rakim
Rakim
William Michael Griffin Jr. , known by his stage names Rakim , Rakim Allah, R.A.K.I.M., and The Master, is an American rapper. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled emcees of all time. Eric B...

, Das EFX
Das EFX
Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Skoob and Dray...

, Big Daddy Kane
Big Daddy Kane
Antonio Hardy better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MC's in Hip Hop...

 and Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...

. The two then traded videos back and forth over the Internet. Rapper Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...

 defended Way by arguing that the younger artist created a new, original work for hip-hop, thus keeping the authentic meaning of the music. The feud was parodied in a 2010 episode of The Boondocks
The Boondocks (TV series)
The Boondocks is an American animated series created by Aaron McGruder on Cartoon Network's late night programing block, Adult Swim, based on McGruder's comic strip of the same name...

.

In May 2011, Way's feud somewhat reignited with Ice-T again regarding The film Juice
Juice (film)
Juice is a 1992 American crime drama film that stars rapper Tupac Shakur and Omar Epps. Additional cast members include Jermaine "Huggy" Hopkins, Khalil Kain, Samuel L. Jackson, and features cameo appearances by Queen Latifah, EPMD, Special Ed, Ed Lover, Doctor Dré, Flex Alexander, Fab Five...

. Way stated he would also released a movie of his own to go along with his mixtape of the same name again somewhat reignited with Ice-T following a statement during Ice-T's interview with Shade 45 in late April 2011. Ice-T stated that Way's role as Bishop, which was famously originated by Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...

 was not an issue. But Ice-T would find the fact that the film being remade is problematic saying ""What?” he said. “But that’s Pac… At some point, somebody gotta stop it. I came out. I made some statements. Man, I don’t know. Do you, dude, do you. If the masses accept it, it shows you the state we’re in… Come on man, you think I’d try to remake Pac’s movie? Good luck though, I'm not a hater...eh." Way himself barraged Ice-T with retaliatory tweets on the same day, joking that someone "get this guy a hairline."

Charles Hamilton

On December 9, 2008, Charles Hamilton
Charles Hamilton (rapper)
Charles Eddie-Lee Hamilton, Jr. is an American musician, rapper and record producer, born in Cleveland, Ohio.Mainstream popularity came from being featured on the cover of the Freshmen 09' XXL, along with Asher Roth, B.o.B and Wale...

 commented in a interview by saying that Way was making it harder for new artists to be signed. Way responded by saying "X out the Sonic and fuck with Mario, you might want to got damn eat a mushroom." Charles Hamilton
Charles Hamilton (rapper)
Charles Eddie-Lee Hamilton, Jr. is an American musician, rapper and record producer, born in Cleveland, Ohio.Mainstream popularity came from being featured on the cover of the Freshmen 09' XXL, along with Asher Roth, B.o.B and Wale...

 responded with the diss song "I'm You Last Year With Talent". Then the diss song "Word Aight".

Bow Wow

On February 2, 2009, Way challenged Bow Wow to a race in their Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...

s and claimed Bow Wow's Lamborghini was a rental. On February 4, 2009 Bow Wow proved that he owned his Lamborghini and said "its halloween in Bankhead for you everyday nigga..you scared..you all nervous and shit". Way responded on twitter by saying "HE FUCKED UP!!!! IM BOUT TO SHITTTT ON THIS NIGGA!! LOL!!!!!". On February 7, 2009 both artist sent diss
Diss
Diss is a town in Norfolk, England close to the border with the neighbouring East Anglian county of Suffolk.The town lies in the valley of the River Waveney, around a mere that covers . The mere is up to deep, although there is another of mud, making it one of the deepest natural inland lakes...

 songs to each other such as Way's "Fuck Bow Wow" & Bow Wow's "What I Think About You". Later that day during a phone conversation both rappers settled their differences.

Fabolous

On December 28, 2010, Fabolous
Fabolous
John David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper of African American and Dominican descent. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Part of his early popularity arose from his hit single "Can't Deny It" in 2001, from his debut...

 during a radio interview commented on the claim that Way does cocaine, saying "pretty boy swag but never coke my nose though", a reference to Way's song "Pretty Boy Swag. "Soulja Boy went on a tirade on Twitter in response, saying "I ignore dis foo like 5x before this. fuck that. If you send some niggaz to spray me @myfabolouslife at least I die I real nigga fuck you boy." 50 Cent also took to Twitter to say, "leave him the f*** alone before somebody get hurt." Way and Fabolous ended their beef on a radio interview.

U.S. Military

In September 2011, Soulja Boy released the song "Let's Be Real". One of the lines of the song went: "Fuck the FBI and the army troops ... fighting for what? Be your own man ... I'll be flying through the clouds with green like I'm Peter Pan." After the song was released, Soulja Boy was highly criticized by the military members and their families, especially in regards to the timing relative to the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Soulja Boy apologized, "When I expressed my frustration with the US Army, not only did my words come out wrong, I was wrong to even speak them." He adds, "So, I write this to give my sincerest apology to all members of the United States military services, as well as their families that were offended by my most recent lyrics." Representatives for Soulja Boy have indicated that the song has been pulled from his upcoming album, Promise, and will not be available for sale. They are also attempting to remove the video from the internet.

On September 7, 2011, the New York Times cited the U.S. military has announced an official ban on Way's music. Way responded by the rapper is going a step further from not just the removal of the song, but by also offering free performances to the American soldiers and their families.

Discography

Studio albums
  • Souljaboytellem.com
    Souljaboytellem.com
    -Chart positions:-Samples:The bulk of the album was made utilizing the stock samples that come included with the program FL Studio. Many of these stock sounds are samples from other songs, like the open high-hat used on "Yahhh!", which is sampled from "Impeach the President" by The Honey Drippers...

     (2007)
  • iSouljaBoyTellem
    ISouljaBoyTellem
    - Charts :...

     (2008)
  • The DeAndre Way
    The DeAndre Way
    The DeAndre Way is the third studio album by American rapper Soulja Boy. It was released on November 27, 2010. He also planned to release his novel, Teenage Millionaire, on the album's release day...

     (2010)
  • Promise
    Promise (Soulja Boy album)
    Promise is the upcoming fourth studio album by American rapper Soulja Boy. , it is scheduled to be released on Valentine's Day, 2012, after the debut of the documentary, Soulja Boy: The Movie, which was released on October 18. It is set to be released through Stacks on Deck Entertainment, Collipark...

     (2012)


Independent albums
  • Unsigned and Still Major: Da Album Before da Album (2007)
  • Skate Boy (2011)


Collaboration albums
  • Maserati Boys (TBA) (with Ja-Bar)


Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Notes
2007 YouTube Live
YouTube Live
YouTube Live was a 2008 event streamed live on the Internet from San Francisco and Tokyo. It was hosted by a variety of YouTube celebrities, including The Black Eyed Peas rapper will.i.am, Tom Dickson of Will It Blend, Michael Buckley, The Happy Tree Friends, Fred, Smosh, Esmée Denters and singer...

Himself Small Role
2008 What's at Stake? Himself Small Role
2009 School Gyrls
School Gyrls
School Gyrls is an American girl group. Signed to Nick Cannon's NCredible Entertainment, the group starred in an eponymous movie that premiered on Nickelodeon on February 21, 2010...

Himself Cameo
2010 Malice N Wonderland Soulja Small Role
2011 Soulja Boy: The Movie
Soulja Boy: The Movie
Soulja Boy: The Movie is a 2011 film that documents the rise of American hip-hop artist DeAndre Cortez Way . The film was produced by Rugged Entertainment and directed by filmmaker Peter Spirer....

as Himself Documentary on his life
TBA TBA Main Role/Juice
Juice (film)
Juice is a 1992 American crime drama film that stars rapper Tupac Shakur and Omar Epps. Additional cast members include Jermaine "Huggy" Hopkins, Khalil Kain, Samuel L. Jackson, and features cameo appearances by Queen Latifah, EPMD, Special Ed, Ed Lover, Doctor Dré, Flex Alexander, Fab Five...

 Remake
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2007 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...

Himself
Last Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly is an American late night talk show that is broadcast on NBC. The show is hosted by Carson Daly, the half-hour show featuring celebrity interviews, documentary-style coverage of a topic, and musical performances. Last Call airs weeknights at 1:35 a.m. Eastern / 12:35 a.m....

Himself
2008 Live with Regis Himself Minor appearance
Access Granted
Access Granted
Access Granted is an American television series that features an in depth look at the planning and production of R&B and hip hop music videos. Each week, a different artist and their new music video are featured, with the video premiering at the end of the episode. The series began airing in 2001...

Himself For his music video for "Bird Walk
Bird Walk
"Bird Walk" is the first single from Soulja Boy's 2008 album iSouljaBoyTellem. Soulja Boy performed the song at MTV's Made Head-to-Head Hip Hop Challenge with the contestants doing the "Bird Walk".-Song information:...

"
2010 When I Was 17
When I Was 17
When I Was 17 is an MTV television show which features celebrities of today and looks back on "when they were 17". The show features photos as well as interviews with family and friends...

Himself
The Mo'Nique Show
The Mo'Nique Show
The Mo'Nique Show is an American talk show hosted by comedienne actress Mo'Nique. Aired on BET, the series began October 5, 2009. She is the first African American woman to host her own late night show. The show's second and final season premiered on Monday, October 4, 2010.On July 18, 2011, BET...

Himself
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....

Himself
Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight was an American late-night television talk show hosted by comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican American to host a late-night talk show on an English-language network in the United States. The...

Himself
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...

Himself

Awards and nominations

  • BET Awards
    BET Awards
    The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...

    • 2007: Best New Artist (Nominated)
    • 2008: Viewer's Choice Award: "Crank That (Soulja Boy)
      Crank That (Soulja Boy)
      "Crank That " is the debut single by American rapper Soulja Boy from his debut album souljaboytellem.com. It spent seven weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 2007. The song is recognized by its looping steel pan riff. The song was originally produced on the program FL Studio before...

      " (Nominated)
    • 2009: Viewer's Choice Award: "Kiss Me Thru the Phone
      Kiss Me Thru the Phone
      "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" is a song from hip-hop artist Soulja Boy released as the second single from his 2008 album iSouljaBoyTellem. It is currently the best-selling single from the album, reaching #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the U.S. Rap Charts, the top ten in the United Kingdom and...

      " (Nominated)

  • BET Hip-Hop Awards
    • '2007: Best Hip-Hop Dance (Won)'

  • Grammy Awards
    • 2008: Best Rap Song: "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" (Nominated)

  • Ozone Awards
    • '2007: Patiently Waiting: Mississippi (Won)'
    • 2008: Best Breakthrough Artist (Nominated)
    • 2008: TJ's DJ's Tastemaker Award (Nominated)

  • Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
    Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
    The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, also known as the KCAs or Kids Choice Awards, is an annual awards show that airs on the Nickelodeon cable channel, which airs live and is usually held and telecast live on a...

    • 2007: Favorite Male Singer (Nominated)

  • Teen Choice Awards
    Teen Choice Awards
    The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...

    • 2009: Choice Music: Rap Artist (Nominated)
    • 2009: Choice Music: R&B Track for "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" (Nominated)
    • 2009: Choice Music: Hook Up for "Kiss Me Thru the Phone"
    • 2009: Choice Music: Artist (Nominated)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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