Soulja Boy Wants To Claim The Top Spot In Hip-Hop
Soulja Boy was running late to his SXSW showcase. Last Saturday, XXL was scheduled to interview the Stacks On Deck Entertainment chief at 2:00 p.m. The time was pushed to 3:00 p.m., but still there were no signs of Soulja. When 4:00 p.m. finally came around, he arrived with Migos in tow, causing pandemonium as everyone rushed to get pictures with the entourage that also included Rich Homie Quan, PeeWee Longway, Johnny Cinco and Rich The Kid. This was already shaping up to be something big.
Soulja Boy and Migos performing together wasn’t your typical showcase. As headliners for Player’s Ball SXSW House Party, they were scheduled to shut down an imitate setting located far from the downtown experience of Austin. The two-story crib was equipped with a Jacuzzi and a backyard pool—perfect for a group of rappers who always scream “turn up!” in their songs. Soulja and his boys positioned themselves at the balcony—which also doubled as a scene for their "Make It Work” video—and kept everyone anticipating the craziness that was about to happen.
Just before his performance in the evening, we caught up with him for a quick update on everything going on in his world. The 23-year-old hitmaker spoke on haters, the forthcoming video for “We Made It” with Drake, his recent jail stint, and how he plans on being the top rapper in the game.—Eric Diep
XXL: You don’t have an album or mixtape out yet, but here you are at SXSW and your fan base still sticks with you heavy.
Soulja Boy: I rock with my fans always. Ever since I started, ever since I’ve been doing my music, it’s just been a blessing. I just keep doing my thing, keep putting out music, keep making beats, keep collab-ing with different artists. I just let the people gravitate towards me. You know what I am saying?
At 23, I feel like you are a veteran in the game. What have been your biggest accomplishments in your career?
When I got that platinum album [Laughs]. I work hard. Everybody work hard to go platinum. When my single went platinum, I had a lot of platinum singles. I think that was a lot to do with the success, but when my album went platinum, I just thought it was crazy. I just got an award from Vevo for 100 million views that was crazy. Getting nominated for a Grammy. I didn’t win, though. Kanye beat me, but I got nominated for a Grammy. I've performed at the Awards. Just everything. I think all of this is a blessing—everything that I do.
Everybody knows you can make a turn up banger, but people like the weird songs like “Zan With That Lean.” Are you continuing to make music that’s uncharacteristic for you on the next album?
I’m just doing Soulja. I’m just doing my thing. “Zan With That Lean” was different. I still got a whole lot of swag. I got more new music that’s coming out like that. I got catchy hooks. I got songs that I am storytelling on. Shit you can play in the club, everybody still turn up. Music go crazy. I got some tracks on there. I don’t know, I’ve just been working. I feel like when you try and focus on making a hit—"Oh, this song gonna be a hit"—that’s when you stress yourself out and don’t make music that you want.
When you go into the studio, are you thinking of making the next “Crank That” or “Speakers Going Hammer”?
If I go into the studio, my main mentality is to go hard. No matter what it is. Go hard. Go hard. Just put out different type of music. Be versatile. I can make music like “Kiss Me Thru The Phone.” I can do “Foreign Cars” and “Versace.” Part of me is to switch it up.
Now, you've got “We Made It.” Do you see yourself making a video for it?
We gonna make a video for sure. Video is coming. The treatment is crazy. It’s coming for sure. I think people are going to like it, man. I’m just turning up. I am just doing me. Drake, that’s the homie. People really like that record. Everywhere I go, they play it. Everywhere, it is getting bigger than I thought it was going to be. You gotta catch up to it.
The crazy thing is it was a mixtape cut and Drake hopped on the remix.
You know, we shake the industry up. That’s what we do man. We shake the industry up. I just like to make the music. I ain’t gonna lie, when I first heard the record though, I sat down. I was looking down and I heard the beat. And I was like, “Nigga we made it! Nigga we made it!” They was like, “Bruh, that’s crazy Soulja. This shit crazy.” I put it out. Drake called me the next day. “Soulja, bruh, what the fuck? This shit crazy.” I’m like, “Alright.” He like, “Man, we got one.” I’m like, “Let’s do it.” And the next day we just getting it in. I just like to make good music.
Some people say Soulja Boy isn’t relevant anymore. How do you deal with them putting you down?
I’ve been dealing with them my whole career. They been hating on me ever since I came out when I was 17. I’ve been dealing with it. They not relevant. Who are they? You know what I'm saying? I just feel like I’ve been dealing with that since I was a young Soulja. I’m used to it, man. Fuck ‘em. I’m just gonna do me. Do me, bruh. That’s it.
You recently spent time in jail and just got out. Did you reflect on anything? Has your mentality changed when you’re making music?
Yeah, it [has]. I feel like, I ain’t gonna say I was mad, but I just felt like, I don’t know. I feel like it shouldn’t happen to me. I got a lot going on with me; I'm just trying to focus and just do me. I don’t know, man! It is what it is, though. I respect the law and all that shit. It is what it is. I don’t care. I’m all good now though. Gucci.
After having such a strong social media presence all these years, what’s your secret to keeping your name out there?
What’s my secret is just, I really like what I do. I like making music. I like swagging. I like shooting videos. I want to be the best rapper. Really. Deep down. As much as niggas hate on me and talk shit, I still come out with the hits. I still make the hardest beats. I drop a video all the time. I always have people talking about me. I always rock. My secret is, I really want this shit. You know what I am saying? A lot of rappers , they be in this position, they don’t really want this shit. I really want that shit. I want [the] top spot. I had the No. 1 song hella times. I want to be the best.
What are you working for now?
I want another platinum album. I want another diamond album. I want a Grammy. I want a collab with Jay Z. I want a collab with Rihanna. Me and Wayne turnt up. Me and Drake turnt up. Me and 50 turnt up. I turned up with a lot of niggas man. Migos is my bros, we got a lot of new shit that’ll kill they ass. What I'm working for right now man is the next spot. I want to be in this shit—how many more years do I got left? 20? 30? Good 20-30 in the game? I’m 23, I ain’t gonna be rapping when I am 40. I'ma stop at, like, 30-something. Retire at 29 or some shit. I feel like once I'm 30—“OK, I'm going to own a corporation or some shit.”
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