"Soulja Boy", born DeAndre Cortez Way, is a prominent American rapper who gained fame with his 2007 hit single "Crank That". The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and propelled his debut album, "Souljaboytellem.com", to commercial success, reaching number four on the Billboard 200. Despite facing criticism, Soulja Boy continued to release popular tracks like "Soulja Girl" and "Yahhh!".
July 28, 1990: Birth of Soulja Boy
DeAndre Cortez Way, known professionally as Soulja Boy, was born on July 28, 1990.
2004: Founding of Stacks on Deck Entertainment
Soulja Boy founded his record label, Stacks on Deck Entertainment (SODMG), in 2004 while signed to Interscope and Collipark Music.
2005: Early Music Career Exploration
Soulja Boy's father provided him with a recording studio to explore his musical ambitions. In early 2005, he was a frequent poster on the website Newgrounds.
2006: Early Adoption of Social Media
Soulja Boy began using social media in 2006, amassing a significant following on platforms like YouTube, where his channel gained billions of views and millions of subscribers. He was among the first rappers to effectively utilize social media for marketing.
March 2007: Recording and Release of "Crank That (Soulja Boy)"
Soulja Boy recorded "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" in March 2007 and released it as a single on May 2, 2007.
March 2007: Release of Debut Independent Album
Soulja Boy released his first independent album, "Unsigned & Still Major: Da Album Before da Album", in March 2007.
September 2007: Production of "Get Silly" and "Marco Polo"
In September 2007, Soulja Boy produced V.I.C.'s single "Get Silly" and Bow Wow's "Marco Polo".
December 9, 2007: Lawsuit over Stage Name
On December 9, 2007, Soulja Boy faced a lawsuit from William Lyons, known as Souljah Boy of Mo Thugs Family, who had been using the stage name since 1996.
2007: Rise to Fame with "Crank That (Soulja Boy)"
Soulja Boy rose to fame in 2007 after the release of his self-released debut single, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)", which topped the Billboard Hot 100.
March 5, 2008: Launch of "S.O.D Clothing"
Soulja Boy launched his fashion line, "S.O.D Clothing", and released his own brand of "Yums" shoes in 2008.
June 2008: Public Feud with Ice-T
A public feud erupted between Soulja Boy and rapper Ice-T in June 2008 after Ice-T criticized Soulja Boy's music, particularly his hit song "Crank That," for negatively impacting hip-hop.
November 22, 2008: "Bird Walk" Performance on YouTube Live
Soulja Boy performed his single "Bird Walk" on YouTube Live on November 22, 2008, with an introduction from MC Hammer.
December 9, 2008: Feud with Charles Hamilton
On December 9, 2008, Charles Hamilton suggested in an interview that Soulja Boy's success made it harder for new artists to get signed. This ignited a feud between the two rappers, leading to diss tracks and online exchanges.
December 16, 2008: Release of "iSouljaBoyTellem"
Soulja Boy released his second studio album, "iSouljaBoyTellem", on December 16, 2008.
December 30, 2008: Robbery and Assault
On December 30, 2008, Soulja Boy was robbed and assaulted in his home. Initial reports claimed involvement of six masked men; however, videos later surfaced online suggesting only two individuals were responsible.
December 31, 2008: Video Surfaces of Robbery
A video was posted online by two masked men claiming responsibility for the robbery and assault of Soulja Boy that took place on December 30, 2008.
January 7, 2009: Announcement of "Soulja Boy: The Animated Series"
Soulja Boy announced his cartoon, "Soulja Boy: The Animated Series", on January 7, 2009, but only one episode was released.
January 26, 2009: Release of "Turn My Swag On"
Soulja Boy released the single "Turn My Swag On" on January 26, 2009.
February 2, 2009: Public Feud with Bow Wow
Soulja Boy initiated a public feud with rapper Bow Wow on February 2, 2009, challenging him to a race and claiming Bow Wow's Lamborghini was rented.
August 23, 2009: "Turn My Swag On" Surpasses 1 Million Downloads
By August 23, 2009, Soulja Boy's single "Turn My Swag On" had sold over a million digital downloads in the U.S.
October 7, 2009: Arrest for Obstruction
Soulja Boy was arrested on October 7, 2009, in Atlanta for obstruction, a misdemeanor. He was filming a video in an abandoned house and fled from police after being ordered to stop.
2009: Potential Collaboration with Kanye West
In 2009, there were reports of Soulja Boy producing for Kanye West's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" and vice versa, but it didn't materialize.
August 2010: Desire to Make a Biopic
Soulja Boy expressed his interest in creating a film about himself in August 2010.
November 2010: Interview with XXL Magazine
In November 2010, Soulja Boy discussed his growth as an artist in an interview with XXL Magazine.
December 5, 2010: Clarification on Musical Style
On December 5, 2010, Soulja Boy clarified his stance on maintaining a rudimentary musical style, explaining his preference for simplicity in his music.
2010: Feud with Ice-T Parodied on "The Boondocks"
The feud between Soulja Boy and Ice-T was parodied in an episode of the animated series "The Boondocks" in 2010.
March 22, 2011: Death of Deion Jenkins
Soulja Boy's younger brother, Deion Jenkins, died in a car crash on March 22, 2011.
April 2011: Ice-T Comments on Remake of "Juice"
In April 2011, during an interview, Ice-T expressed his disapproval of Soulja Boy's plan to remake the movie "Juice," which originally starred rapper Tupac Shakur.
April 22, 2011: Acting Debut in "Juice" Remake
Soulja Boy announced his acting debut as Bishop in the "Juice" remake, set to air on BET, on April 22, 2011.
May 13, 2011: Production for 50 Cent's Album
Soulja Boy stated he produced and submitted beats for 50 Cent's fifth studio album, "Street King Immortal", on May 13, 2011.
May 2011: Reignite of Feud with Ice-T
The feud between Soulja Boy and Ice-T was reignited in May 2011 after Soulja Boy announced plans to release a movie inspired by the film "Juice," a project Ice-T publicly criticized. The exchange escalated into online insults.
May 2011: Lawsuit for Breach of Contract
In May 2011, Soulja Boy and his labels were sued by a promoter in Pennsylvania for failure to make payments related to a rescheduled concert.
September 6, 2011: Ban of Album from Military Bases
Following the controversy surrounding his song "Let's Be Real", Soulja Boy's album was banned from being sold at Army and Air Force base exchanges if it included the offensive track.
September 2011: Confirmation of New Album "Promise"
Soulja Boy confirmed that he was working on a new album, "Promise", in September 2011.
September 2011: Controversy over "Let's Be Real" Lyrics
Soulja Boy released the song "Let's Be Real" in September 2011, which included lyrics deemed disrespectful to the U.S. military. He faced immense backlash, especially given the song's release close to the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Soulja Boy issued an apology and removed the song from his album.
October 18, 2011: Release of "Soulja Boy: The Movie"
The documentary "Soulja Boy: The Movie", directed by Peter Spirer, was released on October 18, 2011.
December 30, 2011: Release of Mixtape "Gold On Deck"
Soulja Boy released the mixtape "Gold On Deck" on December 30, 2011.
February 14, 2012: Creation of "Ocean Gang" Clothing Line
Soulja Boy and designer D. Young created the "Ocean Gang" clothing line on February 14, 2012.
June 3, 2012: Soulja Boy Discusses Upcoming Album "Promise"
On June 3, 2012, Soulja Boy spoke about his upcoming album, "Promise," explaining the delay was due to his focus on releasing mixtapes. He emphasized his commitment to constant creativity and music production.
August 25, 2012: Controversial Comments Towards Hopsin
On August 25, 2012, Soulja Boy made controversial comments towards fellow rapper Hopsin during a webcam chat with his fans. He expressed strong disdain for Hopsin, stating, 'fuck Hopsin, I'm about to go in the studio and record this Hopsin diss real quick' and 'that nigga's a bitch, fuck that bitch-ass nigga'. This was in response to Hopsin's diss track 'Sag My Pants' which had previously targeted Soulja Boy.
August 28, 2012: Confrontation with Hopsin on Tinychat
On August 28, 2012, Soulja Boy and Hopsin confronted each other on Soulja Boy's Tinychat. Although Hopsin admitted he liked Soulja Boy, the confrontation did not resolve their issues.
September 3, 2012: Release of Hopsin Diss Track
On September 3, 2012, Soulja Boy released a diss track aimed at Hopsin titled 'That Nigga Not Me'. Hopsin later commented that the track was horrible but chose not to respond with a diss track of his own.
December 25, 2012: Soulja Boy Releases "LOUD" Mixtape on iTunes
On December 25, 2012, Soulja Boy released his mixtape "LOUD," marking his first mixtape to be distributed on the iTunes platform.
April 19, 2013: Death Threats to Chief Keef
On April 19, 2013, Soulja Boy sent a series of death threats to Chicago rapper Chief Keef via Facebook. The threats stemmed from an incident where Keef's affiliate, Ballout, stole Soulja Boy's chain and bragged about it on Twitter. Soulja Boy later claimed his accounts were hacked and that he did not write the messages.
July 30, 2013: Soulja Boy Releases "Life After Fame" as Mixtape
Initially planned as a studio album, "Life After Fame" was released as a mixtape by Soulja Boy on July 30, 2013.
December 28, 2013: Drake Collaborates with Soulja Boy on "We Made It" Remix
On December 28, 2013, Drake collaborated with Soulja Boy, remixing the intro track "We Made It" from Soulja Boy's mixtape "The King."
2013: Guest Appearance in "Officer Down"
Soulja Boy confirmed his guest appearance in the movie "Officer Down" in 2013.
2013: Production on Lil Wayne's "I Am Not a Human Being II"
Soulja Boy produced the track "Wowzers" on Lil Wayne's album "I Am Not a Human Being II" in 2013.
January 22, 2014: Arrest for Possession of a Loaded Handgun
On January 22, 2014, Soulja Boy was arrested after a traffic stop in the San Fernando Valley, California. Police discovered a loaded gun in the vehicle, leading to his arrest. Although his manager claimed the gun belonged to a neighbor, Soulja Boy was convicted and sentenced to probation.
February 15, 2014: Announcement of Jail Time
Soulja Boy announced on Twitter on February 15, 2014, that he would be going to jail in five days, but he did not disclose the reason. He never turned himself in and the charges remain unknown.
May 6, 2014: Production for Diddy and Lil Wayne
On May 6, 2014, Soulja Boy announced he was producing for Diddy's album "M.M.M." and Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter V".
June 1, 2014: Resolution with Chief Keef
On June 1, 2014, Soulja Boy revealed on Instagram that he and Chief Keef had resolved their differences. However, it remains unclear if Soulja Boy also settled his issues with Ballout.
December 2, 2014: Soulja Boy Announces "Loyalty" Album Release Date
Soulja Boy announced the title, cover art, and release date for his fourth studio album, "Loyalty," on December 2, 2014. The album was initially scheduled for release on this date but was later delayed.
February 3, 2015: Soulja Boy Delays "Loyalty" Album Release to February 3, 2015
Soulja Boy's fourth studio album, "Loyalty," was pushed back to February 3, 2015, from its original release date.
July 28, 2015: Soulja Boy Announces "Blessed" Album Release Date
Soulja Boy revealed the title, cover art, and release date for his fifth studio album, "Blessed," on July 28, 2015. However, the album faced several delays and its release was postponed.
April 2016: Writing Credit on Beyoncé's "Lemonade"
Soulja Boy received a writing credit on Beyoncé's visual album "Lemonade" in April 2016.
May 2016: Deal with World Poker Fund Holdings
Soulja Boy signed a five-year deal with World Poker Fund Holdings in May 2016, aiming to combine his love for music, gaming, and being an influencer.
May 30, 2016: SODMG Artists Dropped
On May 30, 2016, Soulja Boy announced that all artists signed to his label, SODMG, had been dropped.
October 2016: Lawsuit for Death Threats and Probation Violation
Musician Skrill Dilly sued Soulja Boy in October 2016, alleging that the rapper made death threats against him in a video. The same year, Soulja Boy received additional probation time due to weapons found at his residence.
October 25, 2016: Soulja Boy and Bow Wow Release Joint Mixtape "Ignorant Shit"
Soulja Boy and Bow Wow teamed up to release a joint retail mixtape titled "Ignorant Shit" on October 25, 2016.
2016: Collaboration with Bow Wow
After years of feuding, Soulja Boy and Bow Wow reconciled and released a collaborative mixtape titled "Ignorant Shit" in 2016.
January 3, 2017: Feud with Chris Brown
On January 3, 2017, Soulja Boy became involved in a feud with singer Chris Brown after Soulja Boy liked a photo of Brown's former girlfriend, Karrueche Tran. This led to a series of Instagram video exchanges where Brown accused Soulja Boy of 'snitching,' and Soulja Boy mocked Brown's daughter and his infamous incident with Rihanna. Soulja Boy apologized the next day, expressing a desire to collaborate with Brown.
December 15, 2018: Release of Retro SouljaBoy Mini and SouljaGame Fuze
Following the SouljaGame, Soulja Boy announced two more consoles on December 15, 2018: the Retro SouljaBoy Mini and the SouljaGame Fuze.
December 2018: Release of SouljaGame Console
Soulja Boy released his video game console, the SouljaGame, in December 2018, which faced criticism for being an emulator.
December 30, 2018: SouljaGame Consoles Pulled
Due to legal threats from Nintendo, Soulja Boy removed the SouljaGame consoles from his store on December 30, 2018.
2018: Soulja Boy Sparks Controversy with Comeback Claims
In late 2018, Soulja Boy sparked controversy by claiming he had the biggest comeback of the year during an Instagram Live session, a claim that quickly went viral.
January 12, 2019: Release of SouljaGame Handheld
Soulja Boy released the SouljaGame Handheld on his SouljaWatch website on January 12, 2019.
January 18, 2019: Announcement of Fifth Studio Album
On January 18, 2019, Soulja Boy announced he was working on his fifth studio album, "How Can You Blame Me?", originally titled "Blessed".
February 2019: Lawsuit and Seizure of Assets
Following a lawsuit by ex-girlfriend Kayla Myers alleging kidnapping and assault, a judge ordered Soulja Boy to pay $471,800 in February 2019, leading to the seizure of his assets.
March 15, 2019: Arrest for Probation Violation
Soulja Boy was arrested on March 15, 2019 for violating his probation.
2019: New Signings to SODMG
In 2019, Soulja Boy re-signed Lil 100 and signed Atlanta artist 24hrs to SODMG.
2019: Soulja Boy Addresses Comeback Claims and Drake Comments Go Viral
Soulja Boy defended his comeback claims on the radio show "The Breakfast Club" in early 2019. A snippet of his interview, particularly his response to a question about Drake, became a viral meme.
July 28, 2020: Release of "King Soulja 9" Mixtape
Following his success on Twitch, Soulja Boy released the mixtape "King Soulja 9" on July 28, 2020.
November 2020: Release of "Swag 3" Mixtape
Soulja Boy released the mixtape "Swag 3" in late November 2020.
January 21, 2021: Lawsuit by Former Personal Assistant
On January 21, 2021, a former personal assistant filed a lawsuit against Soulja Boy, alleging physical and verbal abuse, including rape. Soulja Boy denied the allegations.
February 1, 2021: Release of "Soulja World" Mixtape
Soulja Boy released the mixtape "Soulja World", featuring Lil B, on February 1, 2021.
April 2021: Signing with Virgin Music
In April 2021, Soulja Boy signed a record deal with Virgin Music.
August 18, 2021: Claim of Ownership of Atari
On August 18, 2021, Soulja Boy claimed during an Instagram Live stream that he had gained ownership of the video game company Atari, stating, 'I am now the owner of Atari. I own the video game company Atari.' The next day, Atari refuted his claim via Twitter, stating that the CEO position belonged to Wade Rosen. Soulja Boy responded by showing a contract that promised him Atari tokens, Atari's cryptocurrency.
November 12, 2021: Upcoming Roles in "ATL" and Film with Machine Gun Kelly
On November 12, 2021, Soulja Boy announced upcoming roles in the TV show "ATL" and a movie with Machine Gun Kelly.
2021: Assault Allegations by Nia Riley
In 2021, model Nia Riley accused Soulja Boy of assault during their relationship, alleging he kicked her while she was pregnant, resulting in a miscarriage.
February 18, 2022: Class Action Lawsuit for Cryptocurrency Promotion
Soulja Boy, along with other celebrities, was named as a defendant in a class-action lawsuit on February 18, 2022. The lawsuit alleged that the cryptocurrency company SafeMoon, which Soulja Boy promoted on social media, was a pump-and-dump scheme.
September 30, 2022: Birth of Soulja Boy's Son
Soulja Boy's girlfriend, Jackie, gave birth to their first child, a son, on September 30, 2022.
December 2023: Feud with Blueface
In December 2023, Soulja Boy feuded with California rapper Blueface after Blueface claimed on a podcast that he could win a hypothetical Verzuz freestyle battle against Soulja Boy. The feud included Soulja Boy proposing that they 'meet up and die.'
January 20, 2024: End of Feud with Blueface
On January 20, 2024, Soulja Boy announced the end of his feud with California rapper Blueface during an Instagram Live stream. The feud, which started in December 2023, saw both artists making threats to harm each other. Soulja Boy cited their mutual threats in prison as evidence that the situation had escalated too far.
May 12, 2024: Condemnatory Tweets Directed at Metro Boomin
On May 12, 2024, Soulja Boy posted condemnatory tweets directed at American producer Metro Boomin, in response to a mocking 2012 tweet about Soulja Boy's mother, who died in a murder-suicide. After public backlash, Soulja Boy apologized and deleted the tweets three days later. He also condemned fellow rappers 21 Savage and Meek Mill for their support of Metro Boomin during the controversy.