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.
Donk
Soulja Boy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dis Yo Folk Soulja Boy Tellem!!
Im In Da Buildin,Everybody Get On Da Dance Floor,
Dis Girl Gotta Donk, She Finna Shake It All Night,
Wow!,Wow!,Wow!,Wow!
[Chorus:]
She Got A Donk
She Got A Donk
She Got A Donk [Faster]
She Got A Donk
She Got A Donk
She Got A Donk
She Got A Donk
She Got A Donk
She Got A Donk
She Got A Donk
She Got A Donk
Shake Some Wit It
Shake Some Wit It
Shake Some Wit It
Shake Some Wit It
Shake Some Wit It
Shake Some Wit It
Wow,Wow,Wow,Wow,Wow,Wow,Wow!
[Verse 1:]
She Got Donk,
Watch It Hit Da Floor,
I Like The Way She Move And Da Way She Snap And Roll,Yea Its Goin Down,
I Got 5 Thousands Ones,
Me,You,And You(You!),
We Bout To Have Fun!,Now Gone Make It Clap,
Dat Right Dere,
Sippin On Some Dat Match My Shirt, I Like Her, Her, Her, Her, And Her,
I Want Dem To Do Dat Over Her!!(Over Her!!!)
[Chorus]
[Verse 2:]
Its Two(Two), Im Back In Dis Thang,
I See Dat Apple Bottom Hangin Out Dat G-Strang,
Im On Fire!, Hot-Tamale!,Soulja Boy Tellem, Me And My Capadres!,Stacks On Deck(Deck), Girls On Deck(Deck),
Now Dat Im On, Arab Up Next(Next),Hung Up My Phone , Den Cash My Check(Check),Now It Time To Party, Girl Get Soakin Wet!, Wow!
[Chorus]
[Hook:]
Get Low To Da Floor(Lower)
Get Low To Da Floor(Lower)
Get Low To Da Floor(Lower)
Get Low To Da Floor(Lower)
Now Bend It, Get It,Get It,Get It
Bend It,Get It,Get It,Get It,
Bend It,Get It,Get It, Get It
Bend It, Get It,Get It,Get It
Now Do Da Grown Man(Do Da Grown Man) Repeat 4x
Now Throw Da Towel In(Give Up) Repeat 4x
[Chorus]
Wow!
The lyrics of Soulja Boy's song "Donk" are centered around a woman with an eye-catching derrière, shouting out to her and urging her to show off her curves on the dancefloor. He states that he likes the way she moves and that he's got plenty of cash to make it rain. The chorus chorus repetition of "she got a donk" serves to reinforce that message, while the verses give a bit of a background to the situation. The song is clearly meant to have a club vibe, with the thumping beat and repetitive nature of the lyrics encouraging people to dance and get low to the floor.
The lyrics of "Donk" are fairly typical of the hip-hop genre, focusing on the physical attributes of women and the party scene. However, the song's popularity can in part be attributed to its highly danceable beat and catchy repetition of the "she got a donk" refrain. Additionally, the use of "donk" as a slang term for a curvy rear end was popularized by the song, and the phrase has continued to be used in pop culture since its release in 2007.
Line by Line Meaning
Wow!
Expressing amazement and excitement at the situation and the events that are about to occur.
Dis Yo Folk Soulja Boy Tellem!!
Soulja Boy introduces himself to the listener in his signature style.
Im In Da Buildin,Everybody Get On Da Dance Floor,
Soulja Boy announces his presence as he enters the building, and invites everyone to join him on the dance floor.
Dis Girl Gotta Donk, She Finna Shake It All Night,
Soulja Boy draws attention to a girl with an impressive rear end, and predicts that she will be dancing all night.
Wow!,Wow!,Wow!,Wow!
Repeating his initial exclamation of amazement at the sight of the girl's dancing and the party atmosphere.
She Got A Donk
Repeating the central observation that the girl has a large and attractive rear end.
She Got A Donk [Faster]
Repeating the main phrase in a faster rhythm, intensifying the energy of the song.
Shake Some Wit It
Encouraging the girl to continue dancing and showing off her moves.
Wow,Wow,Wow,Wow,Wow,Wow,Wow!
Repeating his expression of amazement and excitement at the dancing and the party atmosphere.
She Got Donk, Watch It Hit Da Floor,
Revisiting the main observation that the girl has an impressive rear end that moves rhythmically with the music.
I Like The Way She Move And Da Way She Snap And Roll,Yea Its Goin Down,
Expressing admiration for the girl's dance moves, and signaling that the party is heating up.
I Got 5 Thousands Ones, Me,You,And You(You!),We Bout To Have Fun!,Now Gone Make It Clap, Dat Right Dere,
Revealing that he has a lot of cash to spend, and inviting others to join him in throwing money while the girl dances. Urging the girl to make her rear end jiggle even more by clapping it.
Sippin On Some Dat Match My Shirt, I Like Her, Her, Her, Her, And Her, I Want Dem To Do Dat Over Her!!(Over Her!!!)
Enjoying a drink that matches his shirt and expressing interest in the various attractive women in the crowd. Desiring to see them dance over the girl he's been admiring.
Its Two(Two), Im Back In Dis Thang, I See Dat Apple Bottom Hangin Out Dat G-Strang,
Announcing that he is back in the party scene, and noticing a girl with a distinctive curved rear-end shape visible through her thong underwear.
Im On Fire!, Hot-Tamale!,Soulja Boy Tellem, Me And My Capadres!,Stacks On Deck(Deck), Girls On Deck(Deck),
Boasting and announcing his enthusiasm for the party scene, and highlighting his wealth in terms of money and female company.
Now Dat Im On, Arab Up Next(Next),Hung Up My Phone , Den Cash My Check(Check),Now It Time To Party, Girl Get Soakin Wet!, Wow!
Asserting that he is in control of the party now, and revealing that he has just received a large amount of money. Inviting the girl to get made wet somehow and repeating his expression of amazement.
Get Low To Da Floor(Lower), Get Low To Da Floor(Lower), Get Low To Da Floor(Lower), Get Low To Da Floor(Lower),
Instructing the crowd to start dancing in a low position in order to emphasize the rhythm of the music.
Now Bend It, Get It,Get It,Get It, Bend It,Get It,Get It,Get It, Bend It,Get It,Get It, Get It, Bend It, Get It,Get It,Get It
Encouraging the girl he's been admiring to bend over and show off her rear end while dancing energetically in that position.
Now Do Da Grown Man(Do Da Grown Man) Repeat 4x
Insisting that the people in attendance act like grown adults and enjoy themselves responsibly.
Now Throw Da Towel In(Give Up) Repeat 4x
Encouraging the listeners to enjoy themselves so much that they become sweaty and exhausted by repeatedly dancing, indicating the need to give up and throw in the towel.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AshleyOrtegaa
Anyone else come here searching for Tyga? 😂
@user-qf6vr9gj3q
Yep! Lol
@laylowmoneyy
Big Draco got dem receipts 😂😂🤣
@Davy2wavy
where u been 💛🤦🏾♂️
@splashhh5176
😂😂😂 hell ya
@Vivero626
Found him
@tiburonsin63
As crazy as it sounds..... Soulja really laid out the blueprint for a lot of rappers now 🤯
@AntDevon
Exactly
@lvelvetj
I am not a fan of Soulja Boy, but I recognized this fact years ago. I do respect that he was the 1st to blow up and land a record deal solely off of YouTube and probably MySpace at that time. Unfortunately, this (social media) opened the door for a lot of low quality talent to make a splash.
@hamaadzeen7496
He really was a pioneer....his tracks still be bangin