| NET WORTH :- $10 million Full Name :- DeAndre Cortez Way Popular Name :- Soulja Boy Nickname :- Draco Date of Birth :- July 28, 1990 Age :- 33 Years Old (2023) Place of Birth :- Chicago, Illinois Gender :- Male Height ;- 5 ft 8 in (1.75 m) Weight :- 65 kg (143 lbs) Nationality :- American Education :- South Panola High School Occupation :- rapper songwriter record producer actor Father :- Tracy Way Mother :- Carlisa Way Siblings :- Tracy Jr, John, and Deion Jenkins Sexual Orientation :- Straight Girlfriend :- Jackilyn Martinez |
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What is Soulja Boy’s net worth?
Soulja Boy, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, is a multi-talented American rapper, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has amassed a net worth of $10 million throughout his career. In 2007, Soulja Boy released his debut single, “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” which became a viral sensation and sparked a dance craze. The song topped the charts and held the number one spot in the United States for seven non-consecutive weeks, starting in September of that year.
Early Life & Career Soulja Boy
DeAndre Cortez Way, known by his stage name Soulja Boy, was born on July 28, 1990, in Chicago, Illinois. At the age of six, his family relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, where his passion for rap music began to develop. When he turned 14, they moved once again, this time to Batesville, Mississippi. In order to support his son’s musical aspirations, Soulja Boy’s father set up a recording studio in their family home.
In November 2005, Soulja Boy took a significant step by sharing his songs on the website SoundClick. The response was overwhelmingly positive, leading him to create accounts on YouTube and MySpace.
March 2007 marked a pivotal moment in Soulja Boy’s career as he recorded his breakthrough hit, “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” and independently released his first album titled “Unsigned and Still Major: Da Album Before da Album.” To promote the song, he even produced a low-budget music video showcasing the iconic “Crank That” dance. By the end of May 2007, “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” had gained significant airplay and caught the attention of Interscope Records, leading to a record deal.
By September 2007, “Crank That” had skyrocketed to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for an impressive seven consecutive weeks. The song’s success even earned Soulja Boy a Grammy nomination.
In October 2007, Soulja Boy released his first major-label album, “Souljaboytellem.com,” which peaked at number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and later achieved platinum certification from the RIAA. Following this, he released his second album, “¡SouljaBoyTellem,” fourteen months later.
Throughout his career, Soulja Boy has collaborated with various notable hip-hop artists, including Gucci Mane, Sammie, Shawty Lo, and Arab. His third studio album, “The DeAndre Way,” was released in 2010, followed by his fourth studio album, “Loyalty,” in 2015. Despite facing setbacks, such as his delayed fifth studio album, “How Can You Blame Me?,” due to his incarceration in 2019, Soulja Boy continued to release mixtapes and singles, including the 2021 track “Pandemic.” In February 2021, he released “Soulja World,” featuring Lil Pump
Soulja Boy Controversies
- Crank That (Soulja Boy) Dance Controversy (2007): Soulja Boy’s breakout single “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” became a global phenomenon, but its associated dance sparked controversy for being sexually suggestive. Some critics argued that the dance moves were inappropriate, especially given the song’s popularity among a younger audience.
- Lie About Buying a $55 Million Jet (2011): In 2011, Soulja Boy claimed on social media that he had purchased a private jet worth $55 million. However, it was later revealed that he did not own the jet, and the claim was widely criticized as a publicity stunt.
- Feud with Ice-T (2011): Soulja Boy and veteran rapper Ice-T had a public feud in 2011. Ice-T criticized Soulja Boy for his contributions to hip-hop, stating that he was “single-handedly killing the rap game.” The exchange garnered attention within the hip-hop community.
- Arrests and Legal Issues (Multiple Instances): Soulja Boy has faced legal troubles on several occasions. In 2011, he was arrested on weapons charges. In 2014, he was arrested for carrying a loaded firearm. In 2019, he was taken into custody for violating probation. These incidents have contributed to his controversial public image.
- Beef with Other Artists: Soulja Boy has had public disputes with other artists, including Chris Brown and Shia LaBeouf. These conflicts often played out on social media platforms and included insults, threats, and challenges to physical confrontations.
Record Label
In 2004, Way established his record label Stacks on Deck Entertainment (SODMG) while being signed to Interscope. Since its inception, the label has welcomed numerous artists under its wing. However, on May 30, 2016, Way made the announcement that all artists previously signed to SODMG had been released. Fast forward to 2019, Way decided to re-sign Lil 100 and also added Atlanta artist 24hr to the label’s roster. The latest development came in April 2021 when Soulja Boy inked a record deal with Virgin Music.
Salary Highlights
In the year 2012, Soulja Boy managed to accumulate a staggering sum of $7 million, solidifying his position as one of the prominent figures in the Hip Hop Cash Kings for that particular year.
According to Soulja Boy himself, the inclusion of the phone number 678-999-8212 in his song “Kiss Me thru the Phone” featuring Sammie proved to be quite lucrative. During the late 2000s, this musical masterpiece enabled him to earn a remarkable $100,000 per month. It is worth noting that this 2008 hit soared to the impressive No. 3 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
Legal Issues
On October 7, 2009, Soulja Boy was apprehended in Atlanta, Georgia, for the offense of obstruction. This misdemeanor charge stemmed from his act of evading the police after being instructed to halt while filming a video in an abandoned residence. Following his arrest, the rapper was subsequently released upon posting a $550 bond. Additionally, Soulja Boy has faced legal complications relating to weapon infractions, purported death threats, and an accusation of rape, which was refuted by his spokesperson.
In February 2022, Soulja Boy found himself implicated as a defendant in a class-action lawsuit targeting the cryptocurrency company SafeMoon. The lawsuit alleged that SafeMoon engaged in a pump-and-dump scheme, and Soulja Boy was accused of promoting the SafeMoon token on social media using deceptive information. Notably, he was not alone in this endeavor, as other individuals such as Jake Paul, Nick Carter, and Lil Yachty were also involved in the promotion of SafeMoon with misleading tactics.
Personal Life
In June 2008, on DJ Cisco’s Urban Legend mixtape, renowned rapper Ice-T directed derogatory remarks towards Way and criticized his song “Crank That” for being inferior to the works of other hip-hop artists such as Rakim, Das EFX, Big Daddy Kane, and Ice Cube, going as far as to claim that Way was “killing hip-hop.” This led to a back-and-forth exchange of videos between the two artists over the Internet. Kanye West, however, defended Way by highlighting his contribution of a new and original work to the hip-hop genre. This feud was later parodied in a 2010 episode of The Boondocks.
On December 30, 2008, Way experienced a traumatic incident when he was robbed and physically assaulted in his own home. Initial reports suggested that six masked men armed with AK-47s were responsible for the crime. However, a video surfaced on the internet the following day, featuring two masked individuals claiming sole responsibility for the act. In January 2009, Soulja Boy recounted the night’s events to MTV News, explaining that he had returned home late after an album release party and was in the process of recording songs with friends when the robbers forcibly entered his residence, brandishing their firearms. He further stated that the robbers forcefully kicked open the door and aimed an AK-47 at his friend’s head.
Tragedy struck again on the night of March 22, 2011, when Way’s younger brother, Deion Jenkins, lost his life in a car accident.
In 2020, Soulja Boy made the decision to remove all of his face tattoos in order to pursue roles in the film and television industry. He had acquired his first face tattoo at the age of 16, despite his mother’s disapproval. Since 2016, he had expressed his desire to have them removed, as he did not wish to be typecast into roles portraying gangsters or drug dealers and believed that keeping the tattoos would limit his acting opportunities.
In September 2022, Soulja Boy and his girlfriend, Jackie, welcomed their first child, a son.