THE CONFESSIONAL: I’ve Made My Peace With Soulja Boy
They say confession is good for the soul. Today we offer another installment of The Confessional, an ongoing feature on Your Favorite White Boy, where your man B-Double will be confessing certain things that he would not dare bring up in the company of his hip-hop brethren.
Bless me Reverend Run for I have sinned.
It’s been 7 days since my last confession.
After much soul searching, I’ve decided that I’m just going to accept Soulja Boy for the 18-year old ignorant kid that he is. Maybe part of it is because I feel, somewhere in that vast ego of his, that he has been sufficiently humbled by the very modest sales of his latest offering. Or maybe its because after watching his latest YouTube battle with Bow Wow, I’ve come to figure out that he’s just some teen with way too much money, fame and time to not be a jackhole.
I think it really came to me when I was reading the latest issue of XXL where Soulja Boy was interviewed at some length. The dude dropped out of high school and achieved almost instant success by working his MySpace hustle down south. He really has had to absorb a hell of a lot of fame and fortune before even becoming an adult.
Now, of course, not every teenaged rapper who achieves fame acts the same way. Look at Nas: he was 19 years old when he crafted Illmatic. To be fair, Nas didn’t really experience the same kind of fame. He achieved respect and critical acclaim which is much easier to absorb than the instant money and stardom that comes with having the highest ringtone sales in the country.
I don’t even listen to his music, but I do have strong opinions on people getting what they deserve. It is because of dudes like Nas that I found Soulja Boy so annoying in the first place. There are a ton of artists who would trade their left leg for even half the chance to get put on. Soulja Boy seems like he doesn’t value that success or realize in his immature little head of his that this could, and probably will, all go away tomorrow. No more “rich n–ga shit”.
But at the same time, Soulja Boy is a self made success to a large extent. He produced his own tracks and promoted himself through the Internet. In many ways, he’s paved the way for other artists to be able to carve their own lane online. Sure, his music is vapid and pointless, but he saw the market and exploited it. Some, including me, call that entrepreneurship. He should enjoy his success.
In the end, I guess I wish Soulja Boy well. This is tough, ruthless industry and if he is unable to adapt and show growth, he’ll be forgetten by me and most heads in pretty short order. Only real rap survives in the long run. If he proves to be more than a flash in the pan, then maybe he’s worth some additional consideration. Either way, its improve or parrish – win/win for us.
So drag race the Lambo you paid for with cash. Film your stupid videos. I hope you realize that there is life beyond this instant stardom and I hope you learn what you need to survive when it hits you like a brick wall. Enjoy the ride while it lasts, my dude.
In the name of the Father MC, God’s Son and the Holy Ghostface.
Tags: Fame, Nas, Soulja Boy
seen the pow freestyle? soulja boy’s got beats: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUcr24DFxvA
Damn, Q I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not. You’re just that good. But IMO, the beat’s dope.
Does all music have to be “meaningful” to be enjoyable? And what is “meaningful?” A memory of my girlfriends and I in the car groovin or out dancing to “Turn My Swag On” is “meaningful” to me. Soulja Boy creates music that easily serves as part of a soundtrack to life – his music will forever take me back to Summer ‘09.
While I appreciate and love poetic and masterfully written lyrics, I also REALLY enjoy and love good beats and carefree lyrics. Not all music should be the same. Diversity in music is important, as music is a reflection of the diverse people making and listening to it.
Not all movies have to be “Citizen Cane” be amazing. A good Will Ferrell flick is what you want sometimes. Soulja Boy’s feel-good music doesn’t have anything to prove to you or anyone. How can someone even judge someone else’s music choices? Doesn’t everyone know by now that beauty (and music is beauty) is in the eye of the beholder? It’s scary when people try to regulate what is considered beautiful or meaningful. Music is an expression of life. How dare anyone judge and condemn someone’s creative expression. That is anti-freedom, anti-democratic, but, mostly, it’s anti-hip-hop. I love your music, Soulja Boy. Express yourself!