Years ago, Soulja Boy was written off as nothing more than a pop rapper. He had emerged in 2007 with an underground album, Unsigned and Still Major. The album did enough to gain the attention of Mr. Collipark and he would sign him to Interscope Records. During the summer, his single, "Crank Dat," was released.
Initially, the song was a major hit. Soulja Boy topped the Billboard Hot 100 on his first time out. In only a matter of months, Soulja Boy had become the biggest rap star on the planet. However, that success did not last long. At the time, the "hip hop is dead" debate was still going on and Soulja Boy was accused of being one of the killers.
By 2008, Soulja Boy was engaged in a high-profile feud with Ice T, a legendary rapper. He accused Soulja Boy of not being a true rapper, something that Soulja Boy denied. The teen sensation argued that he actually is lyrical, but he does not cater to that market. Following the success of his next album and more criticism, he had enough.
Last summer, Soulja Boy said that he was going to release The DeAndre Way before the end of 2009 and he said that the album would go down as one of the best albums of all-time. While the album did not come last year, as planned, the album is still underway. Recently, Soulja Boy has been working as hard as he can to get the album out. The people closest to him say that the rapper has come a long way since the release of "Crank Dat." Currently, his album is set for a summer release and it is said to feature some legendary tracks.