DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990 in Chicago, Illinois), better known … Read Full Bio ↴DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990 in Chicago, Illinois), better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em or simply Soulja Boy, is a Grammy-nominated rapper, dancer and producer. He shot to fame in September 2007, when his single “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” reached number one on the Billboard Top 100. He released his debut album, Unsigned & Still Major: Da Album Before da Album in 2007 and followed this with 2007’s souljaboytellem.com and 2008’s iSouljaBoyTellem. His fourth studio album, The DeAndre Way, was released on November 2010.

Early life

Born DeAndre Ramone Way in Chicago, Illinois on July 28, 1990, Way moved from Chicago to Atlanta, Georgia at age seven, where he became interested in rap music. At age 14, he moved to Batesville, Mississippi with his father, who provided a recording studio for Way to explore his musical ambitions.

Career

In November 2005, Way posted his songs on the video-based social community YouTube. Following positive reviews on the site, Soulja Boy then established his own web pages on YouTube and MySpace. In March 2007, he recorded “Crank That” and released his first independent album Unsigned and Still Major, followed by a low-budget video filmed demonstrating the “Soulja Boy” dance. By the end of May 2007, “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” received its first airplay and Soulja Boy met with Mr. Collipark to sign a deal with Interscope Records.

On August 12, 2007, the song appeared on the Emmy-award winning HBO series Entourage, and by September 1, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot RingMasters charts. Way’s major label debut album Souljaboytellem.com, which was reportedly recorded using just the demo version of FL Studio, was released in the United States on October 2, peaking at #4 on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.

On December 9, 2007, Way was sued by William Lyons (aka Souljah Boy of the Mo Thugs) who claims he first created the stage name “Souljah Boy”.

For the 50th Grammy Awards, Soulja Boy was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song with “Crank That (Soulja Boy)”. He lost to Kanye West’s and T-Pain’s “Good Life”.

The teen rapper recently inked a deal with Dallas-based company, Yums Shoes, for a line of his own sneakers called the “Block Star” and an apparel line. “The Soulja boy exclusive shoe will be released in the fall along with my album,” he said. “The Soulja Boy cartoon will also be released in the fall, so there’s three things to look out for.” The line will be unveiled at the fall Magic fashion trade show in Las Vegas later this year, and the rapper will appear in both television and print ads for it.

Soulja Boy says he will not use better lyrics and get more respect from the rap game, although he could, because it will ruin his reputation and image.

Initial reception

The album Souljaboytellem.com was met with mostly negative reviews, despite a positive one from Allmusic. Several reviewers credited Soulja Boy with spearheading a new trend in hip-hop, while speculating he will likely be a one hit wonder.

Critics and hip-hop figures such as Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, and Jermaine Dupri cite Soulja Boy as artistically typical of contemporary rap trends such as writing for the lucrative ringtone market, and the ascendence of “Southern hip hop”, emphasizing catchy, mindless music that discards rap’s traditional emphasis on message. And even one article about his songs and heavily criticizing his musical style has dubbed Soulja Boy the “Nickelback of hip hop”. Soulja Boy identifies his goal as making upbeat, party-themed music that avoids the negative, violent image that he sees in most hip-hop. Despite this, his music has been banned from some school dances for sexual, pro-violence content or innuendo and, ironically, many of his recent recordings feature violent content and sexual innuendo. In the original YouTube video for “Shootout”, Way demonstrates his dance while holding a handgun in each hand and pretending to shoot into the audience.

Feud with Ice-T

In June 2008, on DJ Cisco’s Urban Legend mixtape, Ice-T criticized Soulja Boy for “killing hip-hop” and his song “Crank That” for being “garbage” compared to the works of other hip-hop artists as Rakim, Das EFX, Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube. Soulja Boy responded in a YouTube video by mocking Ice-T’s age (Ice-T was born in 1958) and claiming that he needed to support his family through his brand of music. Ice-T proceeded to offer a video response to Soulja Boy’s reaction in which he neglected to offer an apology while reiterating his belief that Soula Boy’s music was “garbage”. Rapper Kanye West defended Soulja Boy by arguing that Soulja Boy created a new, original work for hip-hop, thus keeping the authentic meaning of the music. Soulja Boy followed suit by buying Ice-T a flaming set of gigantic popcorn machines.

References in popular culture

Soulja Boy recently became an item in the first round NBA playoff series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Washington Wizards. In a bout of trash talking before the start of the series, Wizards guard Deshawn Stevenson called Cleveland superstar LeBron James “overrated,” prompting James to say that he wouldn’t return the insult, as that would be “almost like Jay-Z [responding to a negative comment] made by Soulja Boy.” Soulja Boy made an appearance at Game 3 of the series (played in Washington) in support of the Wizards; his music was played over the PA system. Despite his team losing the game by more than 30 points and LeBron posting poor numbers (compared to his exceptionally high averages), LeBron claims that the trick had no effect on him, and that his young son is a big fan of Soulja Boy.

02.Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
Soulja Boy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What it do,
Coming at you live, it's your boy big Snoop Dogg
Got my nephew Soulja Boy in this mothafucker
We need you to move like pronto,
Like expeditiously,
Matter fact Soulja Boy,
Holla at them nephew.
You digg

Pronto, you know it how we ball
She dancin' on my drawls, with my back against the wall.
S.O.D boys, got our money sittin' tall
While your money sittin' small.
Let me make a phone ciz-all! ciz-all
I'm callin up my boyz, they're gonna bring the noise
When we hit the dance floor.
My team hardcore, all the girls do adore
Bouta do the gang rock til my feet get sizzz-ore
Sizzz-ore

Step on the scene, make the haters say dammit.
Soulja Boy Tell 'em hottest rapper on the planet.
Ya' girl love me and I know you can't stand it.
Goth-em city doors got ya boy Batmanin'.
Ya' girl go hard like Dikembe Mutombo.
Soulja number one but I ain't talkin bout the combo.
S.O.D. boss (yeah) I'm the head hon-cho.
Walk inside the club, I need V.I.P

Pronto, Pronto, you know it how we ball
She dancin' on my drawls, with my back against the wall.
S.O.D boys, got our money sittin' tall
While your money sittin' small.
Let me make a phone ciz-all! ciz-all
I'm callin up my boyz, they're gonna bring the noise
When we hit the dance floor.
My team hardcore, all the girls do adore
Bouta do the gang rock til my feet get sizzz-ore
Sizzz-ore

Get it in, get it out, turn it up, turn it down
Big Snoop dog and soulja boy, told ya boy in your mouth,
Make it bang, make it bounce, break it up take it out,
Nigga what you talking about, snoop dogg walk it out,
Go to work, do the jerk, do it till your head hurt
We the west, just the turf, known throughout the universe
Superman and Kryptonite all on the same mike
Send us some bad bitches like

Pronto, Pronto, you know it how we ball
She dancin' on my drawls, with my back against the wall.
S.O.D boys, got our money sittin' tall
While your money sittin' small.
Let me make a phone ciz-all! ciz-all
I'm callin up my boyz, they're gonna bring the noise
When we hit the dance floor.
My team hardcore, all the girls do adore
Bouta do the gang rock til my feet get sizzz-ore
Sizzz-ore

Mike check 0 1 2 3, I don't freestyle 'cause my style ain't free!
Lyrical criminal most have battled for national,
Soulja no limit but I'm not talking bout Master P
I'm in my tour bus a lot and groupies in back of me
Every boy'll shoot interview, video, shoot a magazine
My flow is so sick, the number one off of iTunes
My flow, quick, can lay you quicker than the fuckin' swine flu

Pronto, Pronto, you know it how we ball
She dancin' on my drawls, with my back against the wall.
S.O.D boys, got our money sittin' tall
While your money sittin' small.
Let me make a phone ciz-all! ciz-all
I'm callin' up my boyz, they're gonna bring the noise
When we hit the dance floor.
My team hardcore, all the girls do adore
Bouta do the gang rock til my feet get sizzz-ore
Sizzz-ore

All black let it up, nigga we can get it up
Ya, you can set it up 'cause we will neva' let it up
And I'll do it till you get enough, and I beat you dead and red and stuff
What it do, what it is, I see you haven't read enough
This is the life I chose for me and this is the way I chose to be
A lot of fools is holding me but that's just the way it's supposed to be
Never win, against the grain, always playing 20 games
Stand for something dawg or you gonna fall for anything but later for that
Yeah, I got my swag back, I'm with the Soulja Boy, that nigga bad, back
But them GCs and T.C's begin the VIP, blowin' on some liquor, purple trees
Jerkin knees, workin these cute bad bitches
I think they bent their knees, we gonna get them for their cheese
Break it down, spread it round, five pound
Put it in the air, right now like pronto

Pronto, Pronto, you know it how we ball
She dancin' on my drawls, with my back against the wall.
S.O.D boys, got our money sittin' tall
While your money sittin' small.
Let me make a phone ciz-all! ciz-all
I'm callin' up my boyz, they're gonna bring the noise
When we hit the dance floor.
My team hardcore, all the girls do adore
Bouta do the gang rock til my feet get sizzz-ore
Sizzz-ore

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching 35,000 feet
Hope you're enjoying your ride through Wonderland
I am your flight attendant Boss Lady
Turn your bottles upside down and your blunts in an upright position
And please remain seated until the flight has come to a complete stop

Thanks for flying the friendly skies
With your friendly captain Snoop D-O-double-G aka The Homey"

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Soulja Boy and Lil B's song Soulja Boy & Lil B are about partying and having fun. The song starts with an intro from Snoop Dogg, introducing Soulja Boy and urging him to move quickly. The lyrics then dive into the party scene, with references to dancing and having a good time. Soulja Boy brags about being the hottest rapper and having girls fawn over him, while Lil B raps about his sick flow and the success of his career. The chorus is repetitive, with the phrase "pronto" being used multiple times to keep the energy up.

Overall, the song is meant to be a celebration, with the artists boasting about their success and having fun at the club. The lyrics are simple and repetitive, meant to reflect the carefree nature of partying and dancing.

Line by Line Meaning

What it do,
Hello

Coming at you live, it's your boy big Snoop Dogg
I'm Snoop Dogg and I'm live right now

Got my nephew Soulja Boy in this mothafucker
Soulja Boy is here with me

We need you to move like pronto,
We need you to move quickly

Like expeditiously,
Quickly

Matter fact Soulja Boy,
In fact, Soulja Boy

Holla at them nephew.
Talk to them

You digg
Do you understand?

Pronto, you know it how we ball
We move quickly, we know how to have a good time

She dancin' on my drawls, with my back against the wall.
She's dancing close to me

S.O.D boys, got our money sittin' tall
We have a lot of money

While your money sittin' small.
You don't have much money

Let me make a phone ciz-all! ciz-all
Let me make a phone call

I'm callin up my boyz, they're gonna bring the noise
I'm calling my friends, they'll make some trouble

When we hit the dance floor.
When we start dancing

My team hardcore, all the girls do adore
My team is tough and all the girls like us

Bouta do the gang rock til my feet get sizzz-ore
We're going to dance until our feet hurt

Step on the scene, make the haters say dammit.
When we arrive, the people who don't like us get upset

Soulja Boy Tell 'em hottest rapper on the planet.
I'm the best rapper in the world

Ya' girl love me and I know you can't stand it.
Girls like me and you're jealous

Goth-em city doors got ya boy Batmanin'.
I feel like Batman because of my success

Ya' girl go hard like Dikembe Mutombo.
Girls are tough like Dikembe Mutombo, a professional basketball player

Soulja number one but I ain't talkin bout the combo.
I'm the best, but not referring to a dance move

S.O.D. boss (yeah) I'm the head hon-cho.
I'm the boss of S.O.D.

Walk inside the club, I need V.I.P
I need to go to the VIP area of the club

Get it in, get it out, turn it up, turn it down
Have a good time, end it, make it loud, make it quiet

Big Snoop dog and soulja boy, told ya boy in your mouth,
Me and Snoop Dogg are here, we're telling you what to do

Make it bang, make it bounce, break it up take it out,
Make the music loud, make it fun, end it, leave

Nigga what you talking about, snoop dogg walk it out,
What are you saying? Snoop Dogg is cool

Go to work, do the jerk, do it till your head hurt
Start dancing and don't stop until you're tired

We the west, just the turf, known throughout the universe
We're from the West Coast and famous worldwide

Superman and Kryptonite all on the same mike
We're powerful like Superman, but vulnerable like Kryptonite, on the microphone

Send us some bad bitches like
Send us some attractive women

Mike check 0 1 2 3, I don't freestyle 'cause my style ain't free!
I'm checking my microphone, I don't improvise because my talent has value

Lyrical criminal most have battled for national,
I'm a talented songwriter and I've won many competitions

Soulja no limit but I'm not talking bout Master P
I have no restrictions, but I'm not referring to other artists

I'm in my tour bus a lot and groupies in back of me
I'm on tour frequently and have a lot of fans

Every boy'll shoot interview, video, shoot a magazine
Everyone wants to interview me or write about me

My flow is so sick, the number one off of iTunes
My music is very popular and successful

My flow, quick, can lay you quicker than the fuckin' swine flu
My rapping is fast and powerful

All black let it up, nigga we can get it up
Wear all black and party hard

Ya, you can set it up 'cause we will neva' let it up
You can arrange a party because we never stop having fun

And I'll do it till you get enough, and I beat you dead and red and stuff
I'll continue partying until you're tired and I'm successful

This is the life I chose for me and this is the way I chose to be
I chose to live this life because I like it

A lot of fools is holding me but that's just the way it's supposed to be
I have a lot of people trying to stop me, but that's just part of the game

Never win, against the grain, always playing 20 games
I'm different and don't always succeed, but I keep trying

Stand for something dawg or you gonna fall for anything but later for that
Have values or you'll be taken advantage of, but I'm not talking about that now

Yeah, I got my swag back, I'm with the Soulja Boy, that nigga bad, back
I'm feeling good and I'm with Soulja Boy, who's talented

But them GCs and T.C's begin the VIP, blowin' on some liquor, purple trees
Some of our friends are in the VIP area, smoking and drinking

Jerkin knees, workin these cute bad bitches
We're dancing and flirting with attractive women

I think they bent their knees, we gonna get them for their cheese
They're interested in us, we'll take advantage of that and make money

Break it down, spread it round, five pound
Let's party and share some marijuana

Put it in the air, right now like pronto
Let's smoke right now

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching 35,000 feet
Flight attendant speaking

Hope you're enjoying your ride through Wonderland
I hope you're enjoying the flight

I am your flight attendant Boss Lady
My name is Boss Lady and I'm a flight attendant

Turn your bottles upside down and your blunts in an upright position
Finish your drink and hold your marijuana upright

And please remain seated until the flight has come to a complete stop
Stay seated until we have reached our destination

Thanks for flying the friendly skies
Thank you for choosing this airline

With your friendly captain Snoop D-O-double-G aka The Homey"
The pilot's name is Snoop Dogg and he's your friend

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, MISSING LINK MUSIC
Written by: BRANDON MATTHEWS, CALVIN BROADUS, DEANDRE WAY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@monobloc

3y↑19.6K

0% nudity
0% drugs
0% expensive cars
100% censored superman logo

@mari.from.omori.

3y↑317

Underrated comment

Edit: The sheer amount of replies I've gotten saying how this is overrated and shit is literally killing me on the inside. Do you think 4 months ago when I originally wrote this comment that there was 14k likes and it hasn't changed? Because that's absolutely wrong, this comment literally had like 56 likes at the time.