Soulja Boy
DeAndre Cortez Way
Soulja Boy is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois active since 2007.
- Profession
- Rapper, Producer, Entrepreneur
- From
- Chicago, Illinois
- Born
- July 28, 1990
- Years active
- 2007–present
Early life
Born in Chicago and raised in Atlanta and Mississippi, DeAndre Way pioneered self-promotion on YouTube and SoundClick before he had a record deal.
Career
His self-produced "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" topped the Hot 100 in 2007, becoming one of the first viral internet smashes and a dance phenomenon.
Major achievements
He scored a diamond-certified number-one single and is widely credited as a pioneer of internet-driven music marketing.
Legacy
Soulja Boy foreshadowed the social-media era of music, proving an artist could build stardom directly online.
References
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