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Soulja Boy
DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), known professionally as Soulja Boy (formerly Soulja Boy Tell 'Em), is an American rapper and record producer. He rose to prominence with his self-released 2007 debut single, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)", which peaked atop the US Billboard Hot 100 for seven non-consecutive weeks. After a commercial re-release by Collipark Music, an imprint of Interscope Records, the song and its follow-up, "Soulja Girl", both preceded his debut studio album, Souljaboytellem.com (2007). While critical reception was generally negative, the album peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200 and spawned the single "Yahhh!"
His second album, iSouljaBoyTellem (2008)—supported by the Billboard Hot 100-top 20 singles "Turn My Swag On" and "Kiss Me thru the Phone" (featuring Sammie)—was met with moderate commercial reception and a further decline in critical reception. Way was listed at number 18 on the Forbes list of Hip-Hop Cash Kings of 2010, as he earned US$7 million that year. His third album, The DeAndre Way (2010)—supported by the top 40 single "Pretty Boy Swag"—saw a steeper decline in commercial reception, leading him to part ways with Interscope in favor of an independent career.
Way is noted for his pioneering use of grassroots social media and digital marketing strategies during his mainstream popularity. Outside of recording, he has pursued side ventures including video game development, record production for other artists, and his record label Stacks on Deck Entertainment, through which he has signed rappers including Lil B and Riff Raff. He has received a Grammy Award nomination, as well as three BET Award and four Teen Choice Award nominations.
Way was born in Chicago, Illinois, and at age six moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he became interested in rap music. At age 14, he moved to Batesville, Mississippi, with his father.
Way's father provided a recording studio for Way to explore his musical ambitions. In early 2005, he was a frequent poster on the website Newgrounds, and in November that same year, Way posted on the music website SoundClick. Following positive reviews on the site, he established accounts on YouTube and Myspace. In March 2007, he released his first independent album, Unsigned and Still Major: Da Album Before Da Album.
Also in March 2007, Way recorded "Crank That (Soulja Boy)", followed by a low-budget video demonstrating the "Crank That" dance. On May 2, "Crank That" was released as a single; by month's end, it had received its first airplay, and Way met with Mr. Collipark to sign a recording contract with his record label Collipark Music, which later entered a joint venture with Interscope Records shortly after. On August 12, "Crank That" was used on the television series Entourage, and on September 1 it topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and Hot RingMasters charts. During the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" was nominated for Best Rap Song, losing to Kanye West's and T-Pain's "Good Life".
Way's major label debut album, Souljaboytellem.com, was released in the United States on October 2, peaking at number four on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. The album was reportedly recorded using just the demo version of FL Studio. Souljaboytellem.com received a favorable review from Allmusic but mainly negative reviews from other sources, such as Entertainment Weekly. Several reviewers credited Soulja Boy with spearheading a new trend in hip-hop, while speculating that he would be a one-hit wonder.
The follow-up to Souljaboytellem.com, iSouljaBoyTellem, was released on December 16, 2008, to negative critical reception. The first single from the album, "Bird Walk", peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the top 20 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. It was performed on YouTube Live on November 22, 2008, with an introduction from MC Hammer. "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" (featuring Sammie) followed, peaking at number three on the Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Rap Tracks charts. Chris Brown was Way's first choice to sing the hook, but respectfully turned down the offer. Way then tried to do it on his own with Auto-Tune but found it unacceptable. The song sold over 2 million digital copies in the U.S., becoming Way's second to reach two million downloads. On January 26, 2009, Way released the third single, "Turn My Swag On". It topped the U.S. rap charts and peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. As of August 23, 2009[update], it has sold more than 1 million digital downloads in the U.S.
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Soulja Boy
DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), known professionally as Soulja Boy (formerly Soulja Boy Tell 'Em), is an American rapper and record producer. He rose to prominence with his self-released 2007 debut single, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)", which peaked atop the US Billboard Hot 100 for seven non-consecutive weeks. After a commercial re-release by Collipark Music, an imprint of Interscope Records, the song and its follow-up, "Soulja Girl", both preceded his debut studio album, Souljaboytellem.com (2007). While critical reception was generally negative, the album peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200 and spawned the single "Yahhh!"
His second album, iSouljaBoyTellem (2008)—supported by the Billboard Hot 100-top 20 singles "Turn My Swag On" and "Kiss Me thru the Phone" (featuring Sammie)—was met with moderate commercial reception and a further decline in critical reception. Way was listed at number 18 on the Forbes list of Hip-Hop Cash Kings of 2010, as he earned US$7 million that year. His third album, The DeAndre Way (2010)—supported by the top 40 single "Pretty Boy Swag"—saw a steeper decline in commercial reception, leading him to part ways with Interscope in favor of an independent career.
Way is noted for his pioneering use of grassroots social media and digital marketing strategies during his mainstream popularity. Outside of recording, he has pursued side ventures including video game development, record production for other artists, and his record label Stacks on Deck Entertainment, through which he has signed rappers including Lil B and Riff Raff. He has received a Grammy Award nomination, as well as three BET Award and four Teen Choice Award nominations.
Way was born in Chicago, Illinois, and at age six moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he became interested in rap music. At age 14, he moved to Batesville, Mississippi, with his father.
Way's father provided a recording studio for Way to explore his musical ambitions. In early 2005, he was a frequent poster on the website Newgrounds, and in November that same year, Way posted on the music website SoundClick. Following positive reviews on the site, he established accounts on YouTube and Myspace. In March 2007, he released his first independent album, Unsigned and Still Major: Da Album Before Da Album.
Also in March 2007, Way recorded "Crank That (Soulja Boy)", followed by a low-budget video demonstrating the "Crank That" dance. On May 2, "Crank That" was released as a single; by month's end, it had received its first airplay, and Way met with Mr. Collipark to sign a recording contract with his record label Collipark Music, which later entered a joint venture with Interscope Records shortly after. On August 12, "Crank That" was used on the television series Entourage, and on September 1 it topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and Hot RingMasters charts. During the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" was nominated for Best Rap Song, losing to Kanye West's and T-Pain's "Good Life".
Way's major label debut album, Souljaboytellem.com, was released in the United States on October 2, peaking at number four on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. The album was reportedly recorded using just the demo version of FL Studio. Souljaboytellem.com received a favorable review from Allmusic but mainly negative reviews from other sources, such as Entertainment Weekly. Several reviewers credited Soulja Boy with spearheading a new trend in hip-hop, while speculating that he would be a one-hit wonder.
The follow-up to Souljaboytellem.com, iSouljaBoyTellem, was released on December 16, 2008, to negative critical reception. The first single from the album, "Bird Walk", peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the top 20 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. It was performed on YouTube Live on November 22, 2008, with an introduction from MC Hammer. "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" (featuring Sammie) followed, peaking at number three on the Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Rap Tracks charts. Chris Brown was Way's first choice to sing the hook, but respectfully turned down the offer. Way then tried to do it on his own with Auto-Tune but found it unacceptable. The song sold over 2 million digital copies in the U.S., becoming Way's second to reach two million downloads. On January 26, 2009, Way released the third single, "Turn My Swag On". It topped the U.S. rap charts and peaked at number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. As of August 23, 2009[update], it has sold more than 1 million digital downloads in the U.S.
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