Real Name: DeAndre Ramone Way
Birthdate: July 28, 1990
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Super Start
Soulja Boy was born in Chicago, but moved to Atlanta, Georgia when he was seven. Soon inspired by the music of the Dirty South, he became interested in rap. At 14, Soulja Boy moved to Batesville, Mississippi where his father set him up in a recording studio and gave him a chance to truly devote time to his musical ambitions.
Chart Topper
Soulja Boy started out posting songs on YouTube and then started a MySpace page. In March 2007, he recorded Crank That and released an album called Unsigned and Still Major. He also released a low-budget Crank That Video debuting the now famous Superman dance. By the end of the summer Crank That hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and had been played on TV Show Entourage. Soulja Boy was also signed to Interscope Records and released Souljaboytellem.com!
Contoversy
While enjoying his newfound fame and fortune, Soulja Boy was sued by Souljah Boy of the Home Dogs who claimed that he first created the name and that Soulja Boy (without the h) was infringing on his copyright. Also, Crank That has been banned from some school dances for sexual content or innuendo.
Did U Know?
- Soulja Boy was nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award for Best Rap Song.
- Soulja Boy is only 17 years old!
- Crank That was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks.
- Crank That is now the highest selling digital song in history!
Soulja Boy Says
"A big part of my success came from the internet scene, the MySpace, the YouTube, all that."
