11 things Soulja Boy claims to have been the first to do

In the ever-evolving landscape of the music industry, when there is a force like Soulja Boy that hits the ground running, the mark left is undeniable.

When the Chicago-born rapper first hit the scene with his famous track “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” which came with a dance to match, he not only scored a chart-topping success but went on to revolutionize the rap game in ways that transcended the boundaries of traditional music promotion. Beyond infectious beats and catchy lyrics, Soulja Boy became a pioneer in leveraging the power of the internet to reshape the entire music distribution model.

At a time when major record labels held the key to success, Soulja Boy dared to challenge the established norms. Through the strategic use of social media platforms, most notably Myspace and later YouTube, he harnessed the digital age to propel himself into the spotlight. By connecting directly with his audience and fans, the artist who has dubbed himself “Big Draco” defined a new era of DIY promotion and paved the way for aspiring artists to sidestep the conventional route of major label backing.

When the world celebrated 50 years of Hip Hop in 2023, the “Kiss Me Through The Phone” MC took to Twitter to express that although he felt as though he’d been left out of many conversations about pioneers in the industry, there are a lot of things that he was the first to do. Though his claims were met with criticism by many, Soulja Boy brought the receipts to back up what he was suggesting.

Here are 11 things that Soulja Boy may have actually been the first to ever do.

In 2021, the rapper released his very own video game console, Soulja Boy Game, powered by TRDR Pocket. The product is a handheld gaming system, similar to the popular Nintendo Game Boy. Per the company’s X page, it features Netflix, Spotify and Apple Music directly out of the box. While rappers like 21 Savage, Snoop Dogg and Nicki Minaj have been tapped as playable skins for Call of Duty, Soulja Boy’s product does make him the first rapper to have an actual gaming system available for purchase.

It comes as no surprise that Soulja Boy would be ahead of the trends when it comes to technology, especially when he was one of the first artists to hop on and use the digital media age to his benefit.

According to BeInCrypto, the rap superstar earned himself “a few thousand dollars” when he released a series of tweets as non-fungible tokens, more widely known as NFTs. Moreover, in 2023, he set a new trend not only for himself but within the cryptocurrency industry when he became the first rapper to rug three consecutive NFT projects.

Soulja Boy made waves in music, but he is no stranger to trying his hand across various industries. There is still a long way to go when it comes to revolutionizing space in terms of representation. A 2023 report by the Houston Chronicle revealed that only 16 Black people have gone to space with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the past 40 years.

Big Draco not only wants to change that statistic but wants to become the first rapper to enter the territory, even going as far as reaching out to X CEO, Tesla owner and SpaceX founder Elon Musk to make it happen.

During his list of revelations about all of the things he did first, Soulja Boy claims he was the first rapper to rock an iced-out G-Shock. The popular jewelry line was created by Kikuo Ibe after he wanted to create a watch that could stand the test of time by making it shockproof, waterproof and even bulletproof.

Hip Hop’s relationship with the watches stems way back to rappers from groups like Public Enemy and N.W.A, who were some of the first to sport the accessory as a fashion statement early on in the genre’s rise. Today, artists like Kid Cudi, Travis Scott, ASAP Ferg and more have collaborated with the brand for new lines, but Soulja Boy claims that he is the first to ever sport an iced-out version of the watch.

It’s no secret that Soulja Boy was the first artist to utilize YouTube as another avenue for sharing music. Before today’s use of the platform to share visuals, artists went to networks like MTV and BET to share their content.

On March 15, 2006, he released his first YouTube video, which was a preview of what was to come ahead of his release of the “Stacks On Deck” DVD. The clip features a young Soulja Boy sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle flexing in his authentic nature, sharing that the whip came equipped with TV screens in the back. Beyond that, Soulja Boy also used the platform to show off his dance moves like the popular “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” video.

According to his claims, Soulja Boy says he was the first to get paid for sharing his content via YouTube, which is a model that the Google-owned company offers influencers and content creators today.

In today’s day and age, celebrities and fans alike often go to extreme measures to go viral on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Soulja Boy says he was the first rapper to have one tweet amass 1 million likes and it comes from a thought that he shared in 2018.

Though it does not currently have 1 million likes, Soulja still claims to have been the first. “​​In this world, you either crank that Soulja Boy or it cranks you,” Soulja Boy wrote. The rest is history.

A man of many feats, this list previously revealed Soulja Boy’s desire to go to space. While he’s waiting to make it up there, it looks like the rapper took matters into his own hands and purchased a star in the solar system to call his very own.

“I was the first rapper with his own star,” he said in a video shared in 2023. “Stop playing, y’all ain’t got no star in the sky named after y’all. It’s Big Draco… It’s called Monoceros, it’s Big Draco the star. Y’all do not [have] a star named after y’all. This is [a] public record. Big Draco, I got my own star. I don’t need a star in Hollywood, I got a star in the sky.”

It’s not unlikely for rappers to take their talents to the fashion industry, collaborating with brands to release everything from clothes to accessories and beyond.

What’s more, it is also not uncommon for artists to use their love for footwear to work alongside brands like Nike, Adidas, Puma and more to release shoe lines that go on to become very popular among fans. The intersection between fashion and Hip Hop has been evident since its very beginning and Soulja Boy is no exception to the game, except rather than partnering with a company, he decided to launch his own.

The luxury shoe company, Soulja Stars, features sneakers that come in color waves including, white, black, yellow and green, and are packaged in a “collector’s edition” box with a price tag of $279.

According to the Holiday Calendar, June 21 is recognized as National Selfie Day. When Paris Hilton celebrated with a throwback image of her and Britney Spears claiming to have invented the form of photos, Soulja Boy called her bluff.

“Man, I been did that,” he wrote in response to Hilton’s post, adding another legendary feat to his belt. Soulja Boy didn’t even have to post the receipts for this one — the fans did it themselves in the thread.

Icebox is a popular, family-owned jewelry store located in Atlanta, Georgia. Much like how the founder and Chairman of Jacob & Co., Jacob Arabo — more popularly known as Jacob the Jeweler — has been made famous through shoutouts from the hottest names in rap like LL Cool J, JAY-Z and Biggie Smalls, Icebox has also become a hot spot thanks to name drops from emcees.

Soulja Boy claims he is the first rapper to hit up the store for some new ice, and while it may be questionable, he at least has proof of entering Icebox to ball out.

Much like music, classic cartoons simply do not go out of style. Soulja Boy used his love for the art form in his track “Rick and Morty,” named after the popular Cartoon Network show.

The adult animated science fiction sitcom, which aired on Dec. 2, 2013, was a hit on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. Soulja Boy appears to have loved the series so much that he made a song after it. Released in 2021, his track was reportedly inspired by a freestyle that the rapper did during a stream, per Screen Rant.

Just as “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” started as a viral hit, Soulja Boy’s “Rick and Morty” became a phenomenon with TikTok users who used the sound to record at bizarre locations including 7-Eleven counters, drive-thrus and more.

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