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.
Soulja Boy Aint Got No Money
Soulja Boy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Soulja Boy Aint Got No Money?
(Shit... Hol On Hol On Bitch, Ayeeee)
(Verse 1:)
Soulja Boy Aint Got No Money Mane Hol Up
Stacks On Deck Watch Dem Big Face Fol Up
I Got Da Blow For Da Low. Da 5 For Da High
Im Da Money Man. Stacks In Da Caseload
Im Connect Up I Make A Call Like A Metro
Get What U Need To Get Yo Blowed
Soulja Boy Aint Got Money Hol On Hol Folks
(Verse 2:)
I Got What You Need, I Got What You Like
Soulja Boy Aint Got No Money Now U Know Dat Dats A Lie
Stacks On Deck Its Bustin Out My Pockets
Searchin For Da One Yea U Know Shes A Blockhead
I Got Dem Stacks And You Already Know
Soulja Boy All Da Girls Hit Da Flow
Soulja Boy Got Money Ho. And Dats Whats Hannanan
Stacks On Deck On Da Track And Im Snappnin
(Verse 3:)
Ain't Got No Money What U Talkin Bout
I Got Princess Cut Invesible Set Up In My Mouth
Nigga Dont Cap Clamin U Can Rap
Prince Of Snap Music Since I Did A Beat Wit A Snap
Aint Got No Money U Dont Lost Ya Mind
So Much Ice It A Make Ya Blind
Flip Phone Chrome Fitty On My Dome
I Get Mo Head Fitty Cap. Lets Carry On
The lyrics to Soulja Boy's song "Soulja Boy Aint Got No Money" depict the rapper's response to claims that he is broke. The hook, "Soulja Boy Ain't Got No Money?" is a rhetorical question he asks, implying that it is outrageous to suggest he is financially struggling. Soulja Boy goes on to assert that he has "stacks on deck," insinuating that he has substantial financial resources. He brags that he has "blow for the low" and "five for the high," meaning he has drugs to sell at different prices, catering to different customer budgets. The rapper also claims that he is the "money man" and has "connects," indicating he has access to different resources that generate income.
In the second verse of the song, Soulja Boy continues to assert his wealth. He suggests that he has enough money to attract girls and claims that they all "hit the floor" for him. The chorus is the same as the one in the first verse, and the phrase "hol on hol folks" is repeated throughout the song. The verse that follows reminds listeners that Soulja Boy has been in the music industry for a while and that he is the "Prince of Snap Music." He says he has "so much ice" that it can make individuals blind, referencing his jewelry's shine. Additionally, he mentions his "flip phone" and "fitty cap," which may suggest that he is living a luxurious lifestyle despite using outdated technology.
Line by Line Meaning
Soulja Boy Aint Got No Money?
The author is questioning the financial status of Soulja Boy.
Stacks On Deck Watch Dem Big Face Fol Up
The author has a lot of cash on hand and is happy to see large bills piling up.
I Got Da Blow For Da Low. Da 5 For Da High
The author has drugs available at different prices depending on the quality.
Nicks And Da Dimes 2 For 5 You Know Why
The author has small quantities of drugs available for very cheap.
Im Da Money Man. Stacks In Da Caseload
The author is a wealthy person who has large amounts of cash on hand.
Im Connect Up I Make A Call Like A Metro
The author has connections in the drug world and can easily facilitate transactions.
Get What U Need To Get Yo Blowed
The author is willing to provide drugs to get people high.
Soulja Boy Aint Got Money Hol On Hol Folks
The author is telling listeners not to believe Soulja Boy when he claims to be wealthy.
I Got What You Need, I Got What You Like
The author has a variety of drugs available for purchase.
Soulja Boy Aint Got No Money Now U Know Dat Dats A Lie
The author restates that Soulja Boy is not wealthy, and people should not believe him.
Stacks On Deck Its Bustin Out My Pockets
The author has so much cash that it is overflowing from their pockets.
Searchin For Da One Yea U Know Shes A Blockhead
The author is looking for a woman who is unintelligent and easily manipulated.
I Got Dem Stacks And You Already Know
The author has a lot of cash and is proud of it.
Soulja Boy All Da Girls Hit Da Flow
The author is saying that women are attracted to Soulja Boy because of his fame.
Soulja Boy Got Money Ho. And Dats Whats Hannanan
The author is mocking Soulja Boy's claims to be wealthy.
Stacks On Deck On Da Track And Im Snappnin
The author has money and is showing it off while making music.
Ain't Got No Money What U Talkin Bout
The author is denying accusations that they are broke.
I Got Princess Cut Invesible Set Up In My Mouth
The author has expensive jewelry in their mouth.
Nigga Dont Cap Clamin U Can Rap
The author is telling other rappers to stop claiming to be great when they are not.
Prince Of Snap Music Since I Did A Beat Wit A Snap
The author is claiming to be the best at snap music because they created a beat with a snap.
Aint Got No Money U Dont Lost Ya Mind
The author is saying that they have not lost their mind, even though they don't have a lot of money.
So Much Ice It A Make Ya Blind
The author has a lot of expensive jewelry that is blindingly bright.
Flip Phone Chrome Fitty On My Dome
The author has a chrome flip phone that cost $50, and it is on their head.
I Get Mo Head Fitty Cap. Lets Carry On
The author has more money than they can count, and they encourage others to continue listening to their music.
Contributed by Alice B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.