Early Life
Born in Chicago, Soulja Boy moved to Atlanta when he was only 6 years old, and this is where his love for rap music developed. At 14, he moved yet again, this time to Batesville, Mississippi, where his father enabled him to explore his musical ambitions by providing him with a recording studio.
Not long after, Soulja Boy started posting his songs online. His talents were quickly noticed, and after receiving positive reviews, he moved on to YouTube and MySpace, where he released his song Crank That in 2007.
His first ever independent album was also released online in 2007, titled Unsigned & Still Major: Da Album Before da Album.
Career
Crank That was featured in the TV series “Entourage” and it became instantly popular, topping both the Billboard Hot 100. This led to Soulja Boy signing a major label and releasing his debut studio album Souljaboytellem.com in October 2007. He received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song, but eventually lost to Kanye West and T-Pain.
Between 2011 and 2016, Soulja Boy released numerous mixtapes and singles, stating he feels the pressure to be as creative as possible and put out a ton of music. He did get a chance to collaborate with numerous fellow artists, including Migos, ReeseMoneyBags, Lil Yachty, Rich the Kid, Nicki Minaj, and Chief Keef among others.
He’s had a few business ventures as well, releasing his official line of clothing, his own brand of shoes with Yums Shoes, and even a video game console.
In the News
Soulja Boy is no stranger to controversy. He’s gotten into feuds with everyone from the United States Armed Forces to Ice-T.
Most recently, Soulja Boy ran into trouble with Chris Brown. In 2017, the feud ignited when Soulja Boy liked a picture of a former girlfriend of Chris Browns’. The two then began to exchange accusatory Instagram videos.
Soulja Boy has had his fair share of problems with the law also especially in reference to guns.
Stay tuned with The Shade Room to find out more about Soulja Boy.
