Post AIDS Cam'ron
01-22-08, 09:43 PM
video of soulja boy saying hes the hottest mc out (http://smartenupnas.com/2008/01/22/soulja-boy-says-hes-the-hottest-mc-out-better-than-jay-z-50-the-game-kanye-and-scarl/)
Rhap Session: Soulja Boy Tell'em
Soulja Boy isn’t particularly offended by being called a “ringtone rapper,” the nouveau digital-era term for artists who deliver big singles, but lackluster album sales. Yet, such a description doesn't exactly do him or the impact he's had on pop culture any justice. The 17-year-old Atlanta native’s number one single, “Crank Dat (Soulja Boy),” recently became the first-ever song to surpass three million digital downloads, and has had everyone from Ellen DeGeneres to Natalie Portman doing the accompanying dance. Unlike other artists like the Shop Boyz or Hurricane Chris who've also been dubbed ringtone rappers, Soulja’s album actually Soundscan’d nearly 700,000 units (by mid-January '08). But maybe most importantly, the rapper born DeAndre Way has captured the generational zeitgeist of hip-hop babies, while older rappers vilify what he symbolizes. “Little kids think I’m the best ever and grown-ups are like, ‘Man, kill Soulja Boy,’” he admits. Rhapsody had a chance to talk to him while he was in New York promoting the video for his third single, “Yahhh!”
On being a ringtone rapper:I set the record for [selling ringtones]. I ain’t scared of ringtone money. I came back with my second single, ["Soulja Girl"] and my third single ["Yahhh!"]. And the album didn’t flop. It did 117,000 copies out the gate. I had “Crank Dat (Soulja Boy)” out for like six months before I got signed. Everybody already had the song and seen us do the dance on YouTube. So to set that [digital downloads] record coming out the gate, that’s real big. Before I got signed, I never bought an album. If I really wanted a song, I’d type it [into the computer] and get it for the free. When I got signed, we cleaned it up. The old version [of “Crank Dat”] was me in my house on the computer. I just recorded it on a mic and uploaded it. The next version, I went in Collipark’s studio, got it mixed and mastered, and put it back out. For [fans] to pay for it -- that ain’t nothing but love. They downloaded it and still bought it.
On the "Up Close & Personal" tour with Bow Wow, Chris Brown, Lil Mama and the Shop Boyz:Every single one of my shows be jam-packed. When I hit that stage, my shows are crunk. I bring all that everyone else has in one package. Chris Brown dances and makes the girls scream -- I do that. Bow Wow comes out and he’s a hardcore rapper -- I do that. Lil Mama and Shop Boyz do the same thing. I rap, dance, make the girls scream, take my shirt off, and all that in one show. Even though I’m not headlining, I do everything they do in one set.
On staging a rap duel between him and Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA/Genius, who dissed Soulja Boy on a YouTube video:I wouldn’t even rap against the Genius. I’d put up someone who was born in ’66 to go against the Genius so it can be a tie. He’s got like 50 years on me. I wouldn’t even associate with the Genius. [In the video] he was looking like I stole his money or something. He’s in Alaska. He’s cold. I just heard 50 Cent talking about the Genius saying he had an Impala his age. Well, that’s the Genius for you. [Laughs.] He has no choice. He got famous for five little minutes, but he had to sacrifice a relationship with Soulja Boy. Now it’s gone. I ain’t gonna be like “F the GZA” ‘cause I ain’t never met that dude. But he says, “F Soulja Boy” ‘cause he needed a buzz. Now he’s back in Alaska.
On groups making post-“Crank Dat” songs, such as Pop It Off Boyz’ “Crank Dat Batman”:I know POB. They cool. They getting their money. It’s all a movement. What I started, people want to continue. They can do that. I stopped cranking it in ’07.[In] ’08, we getting the brand new money. It’s no animosity. The Batmans, Spidermans and the Fantastic Four are cool. Maybe the GZA need to make “Crank Dat GZA.” [Laughs.]
On his production background:
I did everything on my first album, and all the methods I’m using are still the same. Nothing changed, except I’m recording on Pro Tools. I took some music classes [in school], piano and keyboards. I was in the choir. I never took it to no serious level, or went to high school with it. I listened to a lot of down South music like Mannie Fresh. I like Dr. Dre, too. When it comes to sampling, I can do that. But you gotta clear it with the artist, so I just never did it. Basically when it comes to chopping, I sample my own voice ‘cause I gotta get 100 percent of that money. I [chopped samples] on the "Bathing Apes” and “Pass the Arab.”
On finding a “Soulja girl”:The chicks are everywhere. I got the fans on [MySpace], but I can’t get down like that. I really just keep it to myself and the girls I knew before the [record] deal. After the deal, you don’t know who to trust. You’re really never gonna know the truth ‘cause girls can play you all day. It’s a cruel world. You end up with a girl in the hotel room, and the next morning you get robbed. If they try and get at me, I’ll write their number down or something like that and keep it ‘hood with them. But most of the time, the girls will hit you with the, “Man, you too young Soulja Boy. You 17. I can’t do that. I’ll go to jail.” And I’ll be like, “Well, I’m good anyways.” The older girls, they be trippin’ man. They don’t wanna get down with a rap star. [Laughs.] But Laura London’s on my radar. Laura London, just know that I’m trying to holla at you.
On mixtapes:
I ain’t did mixtapes with DJs because I ain’t need it. I got the Internet in the palm of my hand. DJ Scream hit me up, and I was like, “Yeah, that’s a bet,” ‘cause I mess with DJ Scream. I only did one mixtape with DJ Scream. That was the Superman and I’m doing the Superman Part 2 with him. Other than that, I don’t need no mixtapes.
http://blog.rhapsody.com/2008/01/rhap-session-so.html
Rhap Session: Soulja Boy Tell'em
Soulja Boy isn’t particularly offended by being called a “ringtone rapper,” the nouveau digital-era term for artists who deliver big singles, but lackluster album sales. Yet, such a description doesn't exactly do him or the impact he's had on pop culture any justice. The 17-year-old Atlanta native’s number one single, “Crank Dat (Soulja Boy),” recently became the first-ever song to surpass three million digital downloads, and has had everyone from Ellen DeGeneres to Natalie Portman doing the accompanying dance. Unlike other artists like the Shop Boyz or Hurricane Chris who've also been dubbed ringtone rappers, Soulja’s album actually Soundscan’d nearly 700,000 units (by mid-January '08). But maybe most importantly, the rapper born DeAndre Way has captured the generational zeitgeist of hip-hop babies, while older rappers vilify what he symbolizes. “Little kids think I’m the best ever and grown-ups are like, ‘Man, kill Soulja Boy,’” he admits. Rhapsody had a chance to talk to him while he was in New York promoting the video for his third single, “Yahhh!”
On being a ringtone rapper:I set the record for [selling ringtones]. I ain’t scared of ringtone money. I came back with my second single, ["Soulja Girl"] and my third single ["Yahhh!"]. And the album didn’t flop. It did 117,000 copies out the gate. I had “Crank Dat (Soulja Boy)” out for like six months before I got signed. Everybody already had the song and seen us do the dance on YouTube. So to set that [digital downloads] record coming out the gate, that’s real big. Before I got signed, I never bought an album. If I really wanted a song, I’d type it [into the computer] and get it for the free. When I got signed, we cleaned it up. The old version [of “Crank Dat”] was me in my house on the computer. I just recorded it on a mic and uploaded it. The next version, I went in Collipark’s studio, got it mixed and mastered, and put it back out. For [fans] to pay for it -- that ain’t nothing but love. They downloaded it and still bought it.
On the "Up Close & Personal" tour with Bow Wow, Chris Brown, Lil Mama and the Shop Boyz:Every single one of my shows be jam-packed. When I hit that stage, my shows are crunk. I bring all that everyone else has in one package. Chris Brown dances and makes the girls scream -- I do that. Bow Wow comes out and he’s a hardcore rapper -- I do that. Lil Mama and Shop Boyz do the same thing. I rap, dance, make the girls scream, take my shirt off, and all that in one show. Even though I’m not headlining, I do everything they do in one set.
On staging a rap duel between him and Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA/Genius, who dissed Soulja Boy on a YouTube video:I wouldn’t even rap against the Genius. I’d put up someone who was born in ’66 to go against the Genius so it can be a tie. He’s got like 50 years on me. I wouldn’t even associate with the Genius. [In the video] he was looking like I stole his money or something. He’s in Alaska. He’s cold. I just heard 50 Cent talking about the Genius saying he had an Impala his age. Well, that’s the Genius for you. [Laughs.] He has no choice. He got famous for five little minutes, but he had to sacrifice a relationship with Soulja Boy. Now it’s gone. I ain’t gonna be like “F the GZA” ‘cause I ain’t never met that dude. But he says, “F Soulja Boy” ‘cause he needed a buzz. Now he’s back in Alaska.
On groups making post-“Crank Dat” songs, such as Pop It Off Boyz’ “Crank Dat Batman”:I know POB. They cool. They getting their money. It’s all a movement. What I started, people want to continue. They can do that. I stopped cranking it in ’07.[In] ’08, we getting the brand new money. It’s no animosity. The Batmans, Spidermans and the Fantastic Four are cool. Maybe the GZA need to make “Crank Dat GZA.” [Laughs.]
On his production background:
I did everything on my first album, and all the methods I’m using are still the same. Nothing changed, except I’m recording on Pro Tools. I took some music classes [in school], piano and keyboards. I was in the choir. I never took it to no serious level, or went to high school with it. I listened to a lot of down South music like Mannie Fresh. I like Dr. Dre, too. When it comes to sampling, I can do that. But you gotta clear it with the artist, so I just never did it. Basically when it comes to chopping, I sample my own voice ‘cause I gotta get 100 percent of that money. I [chopped samples] on the "Bathing Apes” and “Pass the Arab.”
On finding a “Soulja girl”:The chicks are everywhere. I got the fans on [MySpace], but I can’t get down like that. I really just keep it to myself and the girls I knew before the [record] deal. After the deal, you don’t know who to trust. You’re really never gonna know the truth ‘cause girls can play you all day. It’s a cruel world. You end up with a girl in the hotel room, and the next morning you get robbed. If they try and get at me, I’ll write their number down or something like that and keep it ‘hood with them. But most of the time, the girls will hit you with the, “Man, you too young Soulja Boy. You 17. I can’t do that. I’ll go to jail.” And I’ll be like, “Well, I’m good anyways.” The older girls, they be trippin’ man. They don’t wanna get down with a rap star. [Laughs.] But Laura London’s on my radar. Laura London, just know that I’m trying to holla at you.
On mixtapes:
I ain’t did mixtapes with DJs because I ain’t need it. I got the Internet in the palm of my hand. DJ Scream hit me up, and I was like, “Yeah, that’s a bet,” ‘cause I mess with DJ Scream. I only did one mixtape with DJ Scream. That was the Superman and I’m doing the Superman Part 2 with him. Other than that, I don’t need no mixtapes.
http://blog.rhapsody.com/2008/01/rhap-session-so.html