Soulja Boy is ready to make a deal to save TikTok from U.S. ban

In nine months, TikTok will either be helmed by a new owner or a defunct social application in the U.S. However, Soulja Boy believes the latter does not have to become reality if he is given a fair shot at taking over the platform that boasts 170 million users in the U.S.

“I’m definitely interested in buying TikTok. CEO, holla at ya’ boy! The CEO of TikTok, holla at ya’ boy, make a phone call. Get me on the line, let’s talk about it. Let’s work a deal out,” he told TMZ when they caught up with him in Los Angeles. On April 20, the House voted 360-58 in support of a Republican-backed foreign aid bill that included measures about the forced sale of the video-based app from ByteDance Ltd., its Chinese-owned parent company.

On April 24, President Joe Biden signed the legislation requiring ByteDance to divest from the app or risk a federal nationwide ban. At the time, Soulja Boy tweeted, “I can’t believe y’all just gon’ let them ban TikTok like that. And y’all think it’s funny. If they do it to this app, they can do it to any app or site. Not cool [for real]. Y’all will see later.” He went on to tweet at TikTok, publicly inquiring about their asking price. The company is not among the 250 replies to the tweet. In fact, thus far, ByteDance has shut down reports that it is seeking purchasers.

In his chat with TMZ, the Atlanta native confidently said, “I just feel like they ain’t got no choice; they gotta sell it… I feel like, who would be better [at] owning TikTok than Soulja Boy?” When asked about what makes him the ideal successor of ByteDance, the “Turn My Swag On” rapper said his track record of internet virality speaks for him.

“I mean, come on, I started the whole dance wave when it comes to social media. You know I was TikTok before it was TikTok… When you seen ‘Crank Dat’ Soulja Boy on the internet or YouTube, that embodied the whole element of TikTok — the music, dancing and going viral,” he said.

The app’s official statement said the threat of a ban is unconstitutional and that they had every intention of challenging the decision in court. CEO Shou Zi Chew also addressed the controversial legislative move, saying in part, “Make no mistake, this is a ban. A ban on TikTok and a ban on you and your voice.” As it stands, mid-January will mark the nine-month deadline; however, it can be extended by 90 days if progress is made towards a sale.

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