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.
Crank That
Soulja Boy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
Ayy, I got this new dance for y'all called, "The Soulja Boy" (yuuu)
Just gotta punch, then crank back three times from left to right
Ah, yuuu
Soulja Boy off in this, oh
Watch me crank it, watch me roll
Then super man that, oh
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch
Soulja Boy off in this (oh)
Watch me crank it, watch me roll
Watch me crank that Soulja Boy
Then super man that (oh)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch
Soulja Boy up in this, oh
Watch me lean then watch me rock
Superman that, oh
Yeah, watch me crank that Robocop
Super fresh, now watch me jock
Jocking on them haters, man
When I do that Soulja Boy
I lean to the left then crank that thang, now (yuu)
I'm jocking on yo' (I'm jocking on yo')
And if we get to fightin'
Then I'm cockin' on your (then I'm cockin' on your)
You catch me at your local party
Yes, I crank it everyday
Haters gettin' mad 'cause
I got me some Bathin' Ape (yuuu)
Soulja Boy off in this, oh
Watch me crank it, watch me roll
Watch me crank that Soulja Boy
Then super man that, oh
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch
Soulja Boy off in this (oh)
Watch me crank it, watch me roll
Watch me crank that Soulja Boy
Then super man that (oh)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch
I'm bouncin' on my toes
Watch me supersoak that oh
I'ma pass it to Arab and he gon' crank it up fo' sho'
Haters wanna be me, Soulja Boy, I'm the man
They be lookin' at my neck, sayin' it's the rubberband
Man (man), watch me do it (watch me do it)
Dance (dance), let's get to it (let's get to it)
Nope, you can't do it like me, though
So don't do it like me, fo'
I see you tryna do it like me, man that dance was ugly (yuuu)
Soulja Boy off in this, oh
Watch me crank it, watch me roll
Watch me crank that Soulja Boy
Then super man that, oh
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch
Soulja Boy off in this (oh)
Watch me crank it, watch me roll
Watch me crank that Soulja Boy
Then super man that (oh)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch
I'm too fresh, off in that oh
Watch me crank it, watch me roll
Watch me crank that Roosevelt then super soak that oh (yuu)
Supersoak that, oh
Supersoak that, oh
Supersoak that, oh
Supersoak that, oh
I'm too fresh, now watch me do it
Watch me shuffle, watch me, yuuu
Watch me crank that Soulja Boy
Now Superman, yuuu (do it)
Superman, do it
Superman, do it
Ah, yuuu
Soulja Boy off in this, oh
Watch me crank it, watch me roll
Watch me crank that Soulja Boy
Then super man that, oh
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch
Soulja Boy off in this (oh)
Watch me crank it, watch me roll
Watch me crank that Soulja Boy
Then super man that (oh)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch me, yuuu (crank that Soulja Boy)
Now watch
Yuuu
Ah, yuuu
The song "Crank That" by Soulja Boy is a high-energy hip-hop track that quickly rose to popularity due to its infectious beat and catchy lyrics. The lyrics talk about the dance move created by Soulja Boy called "The Soulja Boy." The dance requires the dancer to alternate between punching and cranking back three times from left to right. The lyrics are rhythmically structured to fit the dance.
Through the verses, Soulja Boy describes his dance moves while challenging other dancers to try to do it like him. He boasts about being the man and having fresh moves that no one can copy. He calls out his haters and claims to be better than them, flaunting his Bathing Ape apparel.
The song's catchy melody and lyrics made it a viral hit in 2007. It topped the Hot 100 chart for several weeks and spawned numerous spin-offs and parodies. "Crank That" not only made Soulja Boy a household name but also paved the way for other YouTube sensations.
Line by Line Meaning
Yuuu
Adlib sound effect
Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
Introduction by the artist Soulja Boy
Ayy, I got this new dance for y'all called, "The Soulja Boy" (yuuu)
Introducing the dance he created called “The Soulja Boy”
Just gotta punch, then crank back three times from left to right
Explaining the steps of “The Soulja Boy” dance
Ahh, yuuu
Adlib sound effect
Soulja Boy off in this, oh
Announcing his presence and readiness to perform “The Soulja Boy” dance
Watch me crank it, watch me roll
Inviting the audience to watch and enjoy the performance of the dance
Watch me crank dat Soulja Boy
Performing the primary step of “The Soulja Boy” dance
Then super man dat, oh
Performing the additional move after “Crank dat Soulja Boy”
Now watch me, yuuu (crank dat Soulja Boy)
Inviting the audience to watch and follow along on how to do the dance
Now watch
Reiterating the invitation to watch and learn from the performance
Soulja Boy off in this (oh)
Reasserting his presence and closeness to the audience
Then super man dat (oh)
Doing the additional move once more to emphasize its significance
Soulja Boy up in this, oh
Emphasizing again his presence with the repetition of previous line
Watch me lean then watch me rock
Performing additional steps of the dance
Superman dat, oh
Showing the additional move again
Yeah, watch me crank that Robocop
Demonstrating a variation of “The Soulja Boy” dance instead of the original
Super fresh, now watch me jock
Showing off his style and fresh looks before doing another variation of “The Soulja Boy” dance
Jocking on them haters, man
Taunting and showing off while also addressing haters
When I do that Soulja Boy
Explaining how he does “The Soulja Boy” dance with such precision and skill
I lean to the left then crank that thang, now (yuu)
Explaining the physical details of the dance one more time while also making adlib sound effect
I'm jocking on yo' (I'm jocking on yo')
Repeating the taunting line to his haters
And if we get to fightin'
Addressing any potential physical altercation with those who won’t stop talking or challenging him
Then I'm cockin' on yo' (then I'm cockin' on yo')
Being ready to fight back if attacked
You catch me at yo' local party
Being available for entertainment and performance at any local party
Yes, I crank it everyday
Admitting the dedication and passion he has for “The Soulja Boy” dance
Haters gettin' mad 'cause
Acknowledging that there are still people who criticize him and his work
I got me some Bathin' Ape (yuuu)
Celebrating his success and wealth with a brand name drop. Making an adlib sound effect
I'm bouncin' on my toes
Explaining being energetic and ready to perform at all times
Watch me supersoak that oh
Performing another move variation of “The Soulja Boy” dance
I'ma pass it to Arab and he gon' crank it up fo' sho'
Passing the dance and its torch to another performer to maintain and evolve
Haters wanna be me, Soulja Boy, I'm the man
Boasting of his undeniable talent and impact on the music industry
They be lookin' at my neck, sayin' it's the rubberband
Claiming his necklace is unique and invoking the brand named “Rubberband jewelry”
Man (man), watch me do it (watch me do it)
Repeating the invitation to the audience to watch him perform the dance
Dance (dance), let's get to it (let's get to it)
Encouraging the audience to dance along once they’ve mastered the moves
Nope, you can't do it like me, though
Asserting that no one can do “The Soulja Boy” dance like he can
So don't do it like me, fo'
Advising others not to copy but rather try to create their own signature dance moves
I see you tryna do it like me, man that dance was ugly (yuuu)
Calling out those who copy his moves but fail to execute them properly and making an adlib sound effect
I'm too fresh, off in that oh
Describing his coolness and swag while performing “The Soulja Boy” dance
Watch me crank that Roosevelt then super soak that oh (yuu)
Performing another variation of the dance which incorporates name dropping and changing up moves, making an adlib sound effect.
Supersoak that oh
Performing the move as mentioned previously
I'm too fresh, now watch me do it
Asserting his freshness and style as performance continues
Watch me shuffle, watch me yuuu
Performing additional steps and moves with another adlib sound effect
Watch me crank that Soulja Boy
Repeating the signature move of the dance
Now Superman, yuuu (do it)
Inviting the audience to join and do the Superman move along with him. Making an adlib sound effect
Superman, do it
Repeating and emphasizing the invitation to do the Superman move
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DeAndre Way
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@monobloc
0% nudity
0% drugs
0% expensive cars
100% censored superman logo
@mari.from.omori.
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.
@muhbintang1804
Bruh
@mikelincoln814
Jerk h7ghdh
@tiffanyanderson5583
Copyright
@mlgspeedwagon4908
Legal reasons
@tobi6912
0% naked girls
0% cars
0% drugs
0% drake
100% too large clothes
@spoon3394
Definitely
@noiboba8288
ah yes
@blackboy-sd3qn
2009 gansters bro