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 from Atlanta, Georgia. He rose to prominence after his self-released 2007 debut single, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" peaked the Billboard Hot 100 for seven non-consecutive weeks. After its commercial re-release by Collipark Music, an imprint of Interscope Records, he released the follow-up single, "Soulja Girl" in promotion for his debut studio album, Souljaboytellem.com (2007). The album spawned the single "Yahhh!" and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 despite unfavorable critical reception.
Soulja Boy | |
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Way in an interview with Bandai Namco Entertainment at E3 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | DeAndre Cortez Way |
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| Born | July 28, 1990 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Origin | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2004–present |
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| Children | 1 |
| Website | souljaboy |
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 before he parted ways with Interscope in favor of an independent career. Way has become notable for his pioneering use of grassroots social media and digital marketing strategies during his time of mainstream popularity.