SOULJA BOY TELLEM (November 2007) | Interview By: Eddie Gurrola

       Dubcnn recently caught up with Soulja Boy Tell’em for an exclusive interview. In this feature, we discuss the story behind his smash hit single “Crank That,” and how the song has turned into a national sensation. We also talk about what to expect from his debut album, “souljaboytellem.com,” and what type of role Mr. Collipark had in the creation of the record. Soulja Boy also tells us his about his future plans in the entertainment industry..




As always we have the transcript for you to check and please feel free to send any feedback regarding the interview to: eddie@dubcnn.com

 

Interview was done in October 2007.

Questions Asked By : Eddie Gurrola

Soulja Boy Tellem Gave Dubcnn.com A Shoutout! Check That Here
 

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During our phone interview with Soulja Boy Tell’em, the 17-year old instant superstar is rather reserved, chatting with us from his tour bus which is currently “in the middle of nowhere.” It’s hard to imagine just how quickly the life of the young rapper/producer has changed since his catchy anthem, “Crank That,” infectiously spread from Myspace screens to the top of the Billboard charts. “It’s been real crazy man,” states Soulja Boy. “I’ve been touring two cities a day, [doing] video shoots, interviews, [and] a lot of promo. I’ve been getting like one hour of sleep a day!”

“Crank That” is more than a song – it’s a national sensation. High school gymnasiums and college parties around the country are full of kids screaming, “You! Crank that Soulja Boy!” By logging on to Youtube, one can find hundreds of homemade re-creations of the popular dance. There’s even a tribute to the song laid over cleverly chopped-up clips of the childrens’ program “Barney & Friends” that is available to watch!

“It feels real good to walk in the club and everybody knows the song word for word,” reveals Soulja. Interestingly enough, the creation of the song came only after Mr. Tell’em invented the dance that goes along with it. “I’d been doing the dance for ‘Crank That’ [for a while.] When I actually did the ‘Crank That’ song, I just put the dance in the [song.]”

When Soulja casually tells us the story behind “Crank That,” one can’t help but question how something so simple turned into an undoubtedly memorable moment in pop culture history. “I was in the living room of my house, and I made the beat on my computer. When I made the beat, I was like, ‘Wow, this is a sick beat I’m doing!’ I put it up, and it just exploded.”

But Soulja Boy Tell’em doesn’t want you to only be focused on his current smash hit single. He promises that his debut album “souljaboytellem.com,” which is in stores now, will offer something for everyone. “It’s got dance tracks on there, [and] R&B tracks. It’s got a lot of various content – it’s not based around one subject.”

Soulja is currently under the wing of Atlanta production veteran Mr. Collipark, who took on the role of executive producer for the project. Rather than taking complete control over the album, Collipark sat back and let Soulja work on his own for the most part. “I went in the studio, where I had full creative [control] over the project. I produced 90% of the album. He came in and did a couple of tracks. He just let me go into the studio and do what I did best.”

Soulja breaks down his creative process for us into simplest of terms, almost as if he doesn’t realize that the average person would find such a craft quite challenging. “I always have my beat first, then I write the lyrics.” He says that if he’s writing a club-type track, he’ll “try to think of a dance that I done did,” much like he did for “Crank That.” If he’s creating an R&B-sounding record, he’ll “try to think of a girl that I done been in a relationship with, and just base the song around that.”

The future is looking very bright for Soulja Boy Tell’em. After this project, his plans are to bring out new artists on his imprint Stacks On Deck Entertainment. He also has more on his mind than just music. “I’m trying to do movies, [and] I’m trying to do [a] cartoon show that we’re working on right now. I’ve got the clothing line, [and] Soulja Boy Tell’em edition sunglasses are coming out.” But for now, his main passion is his current project. “The album is all me,” he states confidently. “Go pick up three copies. It’s crazy – you won’t be disappointed!”