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.
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.
I'm Ballin
Soulja Boy Tell`em Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Soulja boy tell em, swish! )
I'm ballin' (I'm ballin')
Ok
I'm ballin' mvp baller of the year
I'm ballin' (I'm ballin') ok!
In my city you can call me the mayor
I'm ballin' (I'm ballin')
You can catch me in the air
My jump shot got me shootin' 3 from wayy over there
We gettin' money over here, sod deliveral
Game in the chokel (chokel) just like eddie derrearal
I'm on another level (level) my click so thrilral (thiral)
My butt so wellow (wellow) my ice so yellow (yellow)
Ok
I'm ballin' mvp baller of the year
I'm ballin' (I'm ballin') ok!
Drop top rewireless (wireless)
Did you see the trums? (trums)
Pass me the winne (winne) and watch me slam dunk
Don't capare me to him (no)
I think he worth it
You can't ball hard as me in my sod jersey
Fans in the stand (stand)
Speakers goin' ham (ham)
Sprinkels shine as we I think I blew 300 grans
Catch me if you can (can)
I'm faster than the cheater
I'm ballin' with the money
I see you when I see you
Ok
I'm ballin' mvp baller of the year
I'm ballin' (I'm ballin') ok!
Shake the haters off (shake em)
Lanes get up on me
Soulja boy ain't got no money bitch wake up
And smell the coffee
I'm comin' thru your speakers (speakers)
Don't I sound good?
Shirt off showin' tats
In the club throwin' stacks (rats! )
I'm ballin' so hard (hard)
I'm livin' so large (large)
Remote control chain and my diamond I'm a star
Swag outerspace, I'm takin' off like a rocket
You ball harder, we ball the hardest
In "I'm Ballin" by Soulja Boy Tell'em, the rapper brags about being a successful basketball player, comparing his skills to those of NBA players. He is the MVP baller of the year, and he puts up points like a professional athlete. He is also a big deal in his city, where people refer to him as "the mayor". He claims his jump shot is amazing, allowing him to shoot 3-pointers from far away. The rapper is proud of his accomplishments, stating that he is "on another level" and his group is "so thrilling". He also brags about his wealth, displaying his expensive possessions like his remote control chain and yellow diamonds.
The chorus repeats twice throughout the song, signaling to listeners that Soulja Boy Tell'em is "ballin" and is a great basketball player. He talks about being confident in his skills, as he is faster than cheaters and can dunk the basketball without any trouble. The rapper tells his haters to shake off the jealousy and acknowledge his success, as he is one of the best basketball players out there. In summary, the song I'm Ballin by Soulja Boy Tell'em is an anthem for anyone who has achieved a lofty goal and feels proud of their success.
Line by Line Meaning
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
Expression of excitement/surprise
(Soulja Boy Tell'em, swish!)
Introducing himself and sound effect
I'm ballin' (I'm ballin')
Repeated phrase emphasizing that he's living large
Ok
Acknowledging the audience
I'm ballin' MVP baller of the year
Saying he's the best basketball player
I'm puttin' up points like an NBA player
Saying he scores a lot of points
In my city you can call me the mayor
Saying he's well-known and popular in his city
You can catch me in the air
Saying he jumps high/likes to dunk
My jump shot got me shootin' 3 from wayy over there
Saying he has a good jump shot
We gettin' money over here, sod deliveral
Saying he's making money
Game in the chokel (chokel) just like eddie derrearal
Self-referential, comparing himself to a fictional character who can't perform under pressure
I'm on another level (level) my click so thrilral (thiral)
Saying he's better than everyone else and his group is thrilling/exciting
My butt so wellow (wellow) my ice so yellow (yellow)
Wordplay, describing his jewelry
Drop top rewireless (wireless)
Describing his car
Did you see the trums? (trums)
Asking if you saw his expensive car rims
Pass me the winne (winne) and watch me slam dunk
Asking for the basketball and saying he will perform a great dunk
Don't capare me to him (no) / I think he worth it
Saying he's better/more valuable than someone else
You can't ball hard as me in my sod jersey
Saying he's the best player, especially when wearing a certain jersey
Fans in the stand (stand) / Speakers goin' ham (ham)
Describing the excitement of his games and how loud they are
Sprinkels shine as we I think I blew 300 grans
Saying he spent a lot of money on jewelry
Catch me if you can (can) / I'm faster than the cheater
Saying he's fast and can't be caught
Shake the haters off (shake em)
Advising to ignore the people who don't like him
Lanes get up on me / Soulja boy ain't got no money bitch wake up / And smell the coffee
Saying he has a lot of money despite what people may think
I'm comin' thru your speakers (speakers) / Don't I sound good?
Referring to his music and asking if people like it
Shirt off showin' tats / In the club throwin' stacks (rats! )
Describing his party scene. 'Stacks' refers to throwing bundles of money in a strip club
I'm ballin' so hard (hard) / I'm livin' so large (large)
Repeating that he's living a luxurious life
Remote control chain and my diamond I'm a star
Describing his jewelry again and saying he's a celebrity
Swag outerspace, I'm takin' off like a rocket / You ball harder, we ball the hardest
Saying he's at the highest level and his group is the best
Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC.
Written by: DAVIS JR. KEITH, VEGA III JOE, WAY DEANDRE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind