Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
When he first burst onto the scene, in 2007, Soulja Boy received a lot of flack for his lack of lyrical ability. Despite the fact that nobody felt his music, outside of "Crank Dat," Soulja Boy continued to push his career. In 2008, he released his second album and his single, "Birdwalk," which was a flop.
However, when he released "Turn My Swag On" and "Kiss Me Thru the Phone," Soulja Boy became a fixture in the game. In 2009, he announced plans to release his third album, The DeAndre Way, and he said he will show off his lyrical expertise on that album. Throughout his career, Soulja Boy said he could really rap, but he didn't want to.
After getting involved in a feud with Ice T and calling Nas out, the teen rapper found support in the form of 50 Cent and Kanye West. It was West who defended him, but 50 Cent has taken the rapper under his wing and they recently shared the cover of XXL. Soulja Boy is currently promoting his third album, in which he plans to prove to the world he can really handle the mic.
Last year, he had an oustanding performance on Snoop Dogg's "Pronto" and he turned the heads of a lot of critics who took him as a joke. Now, he is out to prove he can do this consistently, holding down an entire album by himself. While Soulja Boy said he wants to step up and be able to break down flows like Jay-Z, he does not want to become too lyrical where people do not understand him like Lupe Fiasco. He said he only has a certain type of listening audience because the average person does not understand his content.
Soulja Boy plans to release The DeAndre Way on November 30.