A boy soprano is a young male singer with an unchanged voice in the soprano range. Although a treble, or choirboy, may also be considered to be a boy soprano, the more colloquial term ''boy soprano'' is generally only used for boys who sing, perform, or record as soloists, and who may not necessarily be choristers who sing in a boys' choir.

Origins

In the liturgical Anglican and English Catholic traditions, young choristers are normally referred to as trebles, rather than boy sopranos. The term "treble" derives from the Latin ''triplum'', used in 13th century motets to indicate the third and highest range. Trebles have an average range of C4-A5.

The use of trebles (and falsettos) in Christian liturgical music can be traced back to pre-Christian times. Saint Paul's dictum that "women should be silent in churches" resonated with this tradition; the development of vocal polyphony from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance and Baroque thus took place largely, though not exclusively, in the context of the all-male choir, in which all voice parts were sung by men and boys.

The term "boy soprano" originated with Dr Henry Stephen Cutler (1825–1902), Choirmaster of the Cecilian Choir, New York, who used the term for both the choir members and soloists, who were church choristers, when giving concerts in public halls. The earliest use is traced to a Choral Festival at Irving Hall, New York, in May 1866.

Short-lived range

Most trebles have an approximate range from the A below "middle C" (A3) to the F one and a half octaves above "middle C" (F5). This ability may be comparatively rare, but the Anglican church repertory, which many trained trebles sing, frequently demands G5 and even "high A" (A5). Some trebles, however, can extend their voices higher in the modal register to "high C" (C6). The high C is considered the defining note of the soprano voice type. (For higher notes see, for example, the treble solo at the beginning of Stanford's ''Magnificat in G'', David Willcocks' descant to Mendelssohn's tune for the carol ''Hark, the Herald Angels Sing'', the even higher treble solo from Gregorio Allegri's "Miserere", and the treble part in the Nunc Dimittis from Tippett's ''Evening Canticles'' written for St John's College, Cambridge) Many trebles are also able to reach higher notes by use of the whistle register but this practice is rarely called for in performance.

As a boy approaches and begins to undergo puberty, the quality of his voice increasingly distinguishes itself from that typical of girls. Before and as the voice drops, a uniquely rich tone develops. This brief period of high vocal range and unique color forms much of the ground for the use of the boy soprano in both liturgical and secular music in the Western world and elsewhere. Occasionally boys whose voices have changed can continue to sing in the soprano range for a period of time.

While the girl's voice tends to develop gradually into the richness of the adult female voice, the voice of the boy is subject to the effects of the dropping of the larynx, also known as the breaking of the voice. The ultimate result of this profound change is that a new set of vocal ranges become available (see bass, baritone, tenor, contralto, sopranista; see also castrato).

It has been observed that boy sopranos in earlier times were, on average, somewhat older than in modern times. For example, Johann Sebastian Bach was considered to be an outstanding boy soprano until halfway through his sixteenth year, and Ernest Lough was 16 when he recorded his famous "Hear My Prayer", but for a male to sing soprano with an unchanged voice at that age is currently fairly uncommon. In the developed world, puberty tends to begin at younger ages (most likely due to differences in diet, including greater availability of proteins and vitamins). It is also becoming more widely known that the style of singing and voice training within Cathedrals has changed significantly in the past century, making it more difficult for boys to continue singing soprano much beyond the age of 13 or 14.

The fact that boys are no longer trained to sing in the head voice is a significant factor in the demise of the older boy soprano. In times past it was common for boys to sing soprano well beyond the changes at puberty and it was common (and entirely correct) to refer to a choirboy's voice as 'breaking' as the singing voice had been preserved by methods now generally lost.

Famous boy sopranos

Peter Auty sang "Walking in the Air" in the animated film ''The Snowman'' and is now a tenor.

Andrew Swait recorded and appeared on more than 14 CDs, both as a chorister and soloist between 2003 and 2009 (including as part of the The Choirboys) and is now a bass/ baritone. His historical work and current progress is on Official website for Andrew Swait.

David Hemmings started his career as a boy soprano for Benjamin Britten and, most notably, originated the part of Miles in Britten's opera, "The Turn of the Screw".

Andrew Johnston rose to fame after his participation in the second series of Britain's Got Talent''.

Aled Jones was a world famous Welsh boy soprano who is now famous again as a baritone.

Ernest Lough sold millions with his rendition of "O for the Wings of a Dove" in 1927, recorded when he was 16.

Jean-Baptiste Maunier starred and sang in the French film ''Les Choristes''.

Joseph McManners is known for his renditions of "Bright Eyes", "Circle of Life" and "In Dreams".

Paul Miles-Kingston sang in Andrew Lloyd Webber's ''Requiem'' with Sarah Brightman

Paul Phoenix sang the theme to the BBC's “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” as a chorister of St Paul's Cathedral, and is now one of the King's Singers.

Anthony Way starred and sang in the hit mini-series ''The Choir'', which was based on a novel of the same name by Joanna Trollope.

Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones sang as a boy soprano for Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey.

James Westman was the first boy to perform and record Gustav Mahler's 4th symphony. He was a member of the American Boychoir, Vienna Boys' Choir and Paris Boyschoir. He recorded a solo album titled ''Jamie Westman-Treble''.

Michael Jackson released his first solo single "Got to Be There" in 1971, at the age of 13. As he entered his adult years, his voice descended from boy soprano to high tenor, which was the voice type he had by the time of his death.

Frankie Lymon was a famous treble singer from the time he recorded "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" with 1950s boy band quintet The Teenagers and into his solo years after 1957. By the mid-1960s his voice became a deep tenor or light baritone as he matured into adulthood.

Popular treble solos

"Hear My Prayer" by Felix Mendelssohn (containing the famous passage "O for the Wings of a Dove")

"Miserere mei, Deus" by Gregorio Allegri

"Once in Royal David's City", where the first verse is often sung as a treble solo

"Pie Jesu" by Gabriel Fauré from his ''Requiem''

Girls

The recent emergence of liturgical choirs including girls has led in these traditions to both a more inclusive definition of treble that includes the higher voices of children of either sex and to the qualified expression "girl treble", though such usage has met with opposition.

See also

Anglican church music

Boys' choir

Castrato

Choirboy

Superius

References

External links

The Boy Choir & Soloist Directory

Boychoirs--Past, Present and Future

Category:Voice types Category:Child singers

de:Sopran#Knabensopran ko:보이 소프라노 it:Voci bianche lt:Diskantas nl:Jongenssopraan ja:ボーイソプラノ pl:Dyszkant simple:Treble (singer) fi:Poikasopraano

thumb|Bejun Mehta (2010, by Marco Borggreve)Bejun Mehta (born June 29, 1968) is an American countertenor who performs in operas, recitals, and concerts. He records for Harmonia Mundi.

Early life and family

Mehta was born June 29, 1968 in Laurinburg, North Carolina, and grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His father, Dady Mehta, a pianist born in Shanghai, China of Indian parents, is a cousin of conductor Zubin Mehta. His father was professor of piano at Eastern Michigan University. His mother, Martha Ritchey Mehta of Altoona, Pennsylvania, was a soprano and journalist who worked in the development office of the University of Michigan Museum of Art, and she was Mehta's first voice teacher. His brother, Navroj Mehta, is a violinist, and the artistic director of the Ventura Music Festival.

Early musical career

From the ages of nine through fifteen, Mehta was a celebrated solo boy soprano in concerts and recordings. Of his CD for the Delos label in 1983 (''Bejun'' DE 3019), Leonard Bernstein was moved to comment "It is hard to believe the richness and maturity of musical understanding in this adolescent boy." He was also honored by the magazine ''Stereo Review'' as the Debut Recording Artist of the Year.

After his voice changed, Mehta devoted his musical energies to the cello, both as a soloist and orchestral player, studying with Aldo Parisot at Yale University. Mehta graduated from Yale University with an honors degree in German literature. Concurrently he completed an internship at Delos, where he had recorded as a boy. This led to his working with many great artists as an independent recording producer for labels such as Sony/CBS, BMG/RCA, Deutsche Grammophon, and Delos. His production of Janos Starker’s final recording of Bach’s Cello Suites (BMG/RCA 61436) won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra).

Mehta had attempted for several years to sing as a baritone, without much success. He became intrigued with idea that he might actually be a countertenor, after reading a 1997 ''New Yorker'' profile of the countertenor David Daniels, whose early experiences seemed to mirror his own. He began to experiment with singing in this range, and quickly discovered and developed his powerful and flexible countertenor voice, his natural range for singing.

In 1998, Marilyn Horne, who had known of his boy soprano work, offered him sponsorship through her Marilyn Horne Foundation, an organization which works to develop new talent and preserve the art of song recital. He made his operatic debut as a countertenor that same year, cast as Armindo in a New York City Opera production of ''Partenope'' by Handel. Two months later he substituted for none other than David Daniels when the latter fell ill on an international concert tour. Mehta's career took off. Mehta is now one of the most sought-after countertenors of his generation.

Countertenor career

Mehta has appeared in leading roles in the most prestigious opera houses. These include Covent Garden, Bayerische Staatsoper, Opéra National de Paris, Théâtre du Châtelet, La Scala, Theater an der Wien, Berliner Staatsoper, Théatre de la Monnaie, Netherlands Opera, Barcelona Liceu, Teatro Real in Madrid, Metropolitan Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Los Angeles Opera, San Francisco Opera, and New York City Opera. He has performed at the festivals of Salzburg, Glyndebourne, Edinburgh, Aix-en-Provence, and Verbier, and at the London BBC Proms.

Mehta's major operatic roles include, among many others: Orlando in ''Orlando'', Tamerlano in ''Tamerlano'', Guilio Cesare in ''Giulio Cesare'', Bertarido in ''Rodelinda'', Orfeo in ''Orfeo ed Euridice'', Telemaco in ''Telemaco'', Oberon in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', Farnace in ''Mitridate'', Didymus in ''Theodora'', Hamor in ''Jephtha'', Cyrus in ''Belshazzar'', Arsamenes in ''Xerxes'', Andronico in ''Tamerlano'', Radamisto in ''Radamisto'', Riccardo Primo in ''Riccardo Primo'', Arsace in ''Partenope'', Masha in Eötvös's ''Three Sisters'', Ottone in ''Agrippina'', and Emone in ''Antigone''.

His orchestral concert work and recital partnership with pianist Julius Drake, in adventurous programs ranging from the Baroque to contemporary music, have been presented by the world’s leading concert venues including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Wiener Konzerthaus, Brussels’ Palais des Beaux Arts, the Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, Zankel Hall, the 92nd Street Y, Bremen Musikfest, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia, Teatro de la Zarzuela's Ciclo de Lied in Madrid, the San Sebastian Festival, and the Cité de la Musique in Paris.

Bejun Mehta has been profiled by CBS (''60 Minutes II''), A&E; (''Breakfast with the Arts''), ORF 2 (Austria), Arte (France), and ARD (Germany). He was nominated for the Olivier Award for his portrayal of Orlando at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. His main voice teachers have been Phyllis Curtin of Boston University (baritone) and Joan Patenaude-Yarnell of the Manhattan School of Music and Curtis Institute (countertenor). The British composer George Benjamin is currently writing a lead role for him in his next opera, which will receive premieres in 2012/2013 at Aix-en-Provence, Netherlands Opera, Toulouse, Covent Garden, and La Scala.

Mehta is currently under exclusive recording contract with Harmonia Mundi. His first Harmonia Mundi CD, an aria recital entitled ''Ombra Cara'', with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra conducted by René Jacobs, was released in November 2010. A complete recording of ''Agrippina'' and a CD of songs with pianist Julius Drake are scheduled to follow.

Discography

''Bejun''. (Solo album). Arias and songs. Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Delos DE 3019

Handel’s ''Rinaldo''. (Mago cristiano). Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood. Decca CD 467087

Handel’s ''Giulio Cesare''. (Tolomeo). Les Musiciens du Louvre, Marc Minkowski. Archiv Produktion CD 4742102

Peter Eötvös’s ''Trois Soeurs''. (Masha). Théatre du Chatelet, Peter Eötvös. Chatelet DVD/TV

Handel’s ''Messiah''. (Alto/Middle Brother). Fully staged production by Claus Guth, Ensemble Matheus, Jean-Christophe Spinosi, Theater an der Wien. Unitel/Classica DVD, C-Major Entertainment 703104

Mozart’s ''Mitridate''. (Farnace). Les Musiciens du Louvre, Marc Minkowski, Salzburg Festival. Decca DVD, Unitel/3Sat

Handel’s ''Theodora''. (Didymus). Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Ivor Bolton, Salzburg Festival. Unitel/Classica DVD, C-Major Entertainment A04001521

''Ombra Cara''. (Solo album). Handel operatic arias. Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, René Jacobs. Harmonia Mundi HMC902077

Reference

Kenneson, Claude, (1998), ''Musical prodigies: perilous journeys, remarkable lives'', Hal Leonard Corporation, ISBN 1574670468

Notes

External links

Bejun Mehta at IMG Artists

Bejun Mehta at Harmonia Mundi

Bejun Mehta singing Handel's "Sento la Gioia" (video)

Bejun Mehta and Rosemary Joshua singing Handel's "Sosarme (1732): Duetto Per le porte del tormento (II, 8)" (video)

Category:Living people Category:Operatic countertenors Category:American male singers Category:American opera singers Category:Parsi people Category:1968 births Category:Yale University alumni

de:Bejun Mehta es:Bejun Mehta nl:Bejun Mehta pl:Bejun Mehta

Coordinates	33°37′0″N117°53′51″N
Name	Lil Jon|background solo_singer
Birth name	Jonathan Mortimer Smith
Born	January 27, 1971Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Instrument	Keyboards, synthesizers, drum machine, sampler
Genre	Hip hop, crunk
Occupation	Rapper, hype man, music producer, DJ
Years active	1995–present
Notable instruments	Roland TR-808
Label	BME Recordings Universal Republic RecordsTVT Records (2001–2008)
Associated acts	The Eastside Boyz, Ying Yang Twins, Pitbull, The Mr. Move }}

Jonathan Mortimer Smith (born January 27 1971), better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004. He then went on solo and released a new album in 2010 called ''Crunk Rock''.

Early life

Lil' Jon was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He lived in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for a short time and many of his earliest influences stem from his time there. He graduated from Douglass High School.

Career

Early career

After working as a DJ for Atlanta night clubs, he started working for So So Def Recordings between 1993 and 2000. The group signed to the Atlanta-based Mirror Image Records and were distributed by Ichiban Records. In 1997, Lil' Jon & the East Side Boyz debuted with ''Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album''. It included singles "Who U Wit?" and "Shawty Freak a Lil' Sumthin'", the latter of which came out in 1998. Both singles charted on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart at #70 and #62 respectively. In 2000 Jon took part in starting up his own label BME Recordings and signed a distribution agreement with Norcross, Georgia based Southern Music Distribution. There he released his break through album titled ''We Still Crunk''. Among the tracks on that project was the hit single "I Like Dem Girlz", which reached #55 on the R&B; chart and #3 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.

After hearing feedback that Lil' Jon was "the new guy" from street team people in the markets where he was attracting his biggest audiences - namely Atlanta, St. Louis, Memphis and Dallas - A&R; at TVT, Bryan Leach, went to one of his Atlanta shows and was blown away by the immense energy of the experience. Leach told HitQuarters: "It was like early Beastie Boys, when they had the energy of a rock group but they were rapping, and ... that energy is what crunk music is all about." Lil' Jon & The East Side Boyz signed to TVT Records in 2001 and debuted there with ''Put Yo Hood Up'', which combined previously released tracks with new ones. The group's first nationally played single was "Bia' Bia'", which featured rappers Ludacris, Too Short, Big Kapp, and Chyna Whyte. "Bia' Bia'" peaked at #97 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and #47 on the ''Billboard'' R&B; chart.

In 2002, the group released ''Kings of Crunk''. "I Don't Give A..." was its first single; it featured Mystikal and Krayzie Bone and peaked at #50 on the R&B; chart. The group's next single, a collaboration with fellow Atlanta hip hop group Ying Yang Twins titled "Get Low", became popular in nightclubs nationwide and reached the top ten of the Hot 100.''Crunk Juice'' followed in 2004, led by "What U Gon' Do" featuring Lil' Scrappy. "What U Gon' Do" peaked at #22 on the Hot 100, #13 on the R&B; chart, and #5 on the rap chart; its follow-up, "Lovers & Friends" featuring Usher and Ludacris, peaked at #3 (Hot 100), #2 (R&B;), and #1 (rap).

Solo career and production

In addition to leading Lil' Jon & The East Side Boyz, Lil' Jon has also produced many hit urban singles. From 2003 to 2005, while still with The East Side Boyz, Lil' Jon produced hits like "Salt Shaker" by Ying Yang Twins, "Yeah!" by Usher, "Freek-a-Leek" by Petey Pablo, "Shorty Wanna Ride" by Young Buck, "Shake That Monkey" by Too Short, "Let's Go" by Trick Daddy, and "Girlfight" by Brooke Valentine. Lil' Jon entered the San Francisco Bay Area hyphy music scene in 2006 with his collaborations with Bay Area rapper E-40: Lil' Jon produced E-40's single "Tell Me When To Go" and had E-40 and Atlanta rapper Sean P on his own "Snap Yo Fingers". In 2006, Lil' Jon severed his negotiation with record label TVT. He vowed never to record for TVT Records again, alleging that TVT owner Steve Gottlieb was shortchanging him. He also began recording a rock music album, ''Crunk Rock''; in May 2006 he began recording in Las Vegas, Nevada because rock band The Killers was recording its upcoming album ''Sam's Town'' there and the East Side Boyz signed a new deal with Rick Robinson aka Double R CEO and Founder of IMG Recordings, which the album got pushed back to 2010.

MTV News reported in March 2008 that ''Crunk Rock'' was taking more time to complete than Lil' Jon already planned. As part of TVT Records' 2008 bankruptcy auction, Lil' Jon withdrew his multi-million dollar objection to the TVT sale proceedings and agreed to TVT’s transfer of his artist agreement to The Orchard. In return, The Orchard released Lil' Jon from all future obligations and returned the rights to the master recordings of ''Crunk Rock''. Crunk Rock was finally released on June 8, 2010 and it features artists such as LMFAO, Soulja Boy, Ying Yang Twins, Waka Flocka Flame, R.Kelly, and many more. In March 2011, Lil Jon took part in the fourth season of ''The Celebrity Apprentice'' on NBC and was eliminated in the Final Four. In July 2011, in a recent interview has said that he is working on a new studio album and has released a song with LMFAO called "Drink".

Musical style

Jason Birchmeier of allmusic has described Lil' Jon's production as "bass-heavy" and his album ''Put Yo Hood Up'' as having "a long and varied list of guest rappers to accompany the beats". With the guest performers featured on that album much more than the East Side Boyz, Birchmeier remarked: "The end result is an album that resembles a street-level mixtape rather than a traditional artist-oriented album". Alex Henderson, also of allmusic, contrasted Lil' Jon's style of "rowdy, in-your-face, profanity-filled party music" with other Southern rappers', those who "have a gansta/thug life agenda" and those who convey "serious sociopolitical messages". Lil' Jon has also found influence in rock music, having worked with Rick Rubin and Korn. For Trick Daddy's "Let's Go", Lil' Jon sampled the bass line from Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train".

Personal life

In 2004, Lil Jon was married in Puerto Rico. He also has a son named Slade Smith (born in 1998).

Discography

;Solo

''Crunk Rock'' (2010)

''Party Animal'' (2011)

;With the East Side Boyz

''Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album'' (1997)

''We Still Crunk!!'' (2000)

''Put Yo Hood Up'' (2001)

''Kings of Crunk'' (2002)

''Crunk Juice'' (2004)

Video games

:Tony Hawk's American Wasteland

25 To Life (cameo appearance)

Def Jam: Icon

Need for Speed: Underground "Get Low (song)" song is featured in this game

Def Jam: Icon "Get Low (song)" song in this Game

Filmography

2004: ''Soul Plane''

2005: ''Boss'n Up''

2005: ''Hip-Hop Honeys: Las Vegas''

2006: ''Date Movie''

2006: ''Scary Movie 4''

2007: ''Class of 3000''

2008: ''Smoke and Mirrors''

2009: ''Pimp My Ride International''

2010: ''Freaknik: The Musical'' (voice only)

2011: ''The Celebrity Apprentice 4''

Television Shows

Chappelle Show (2004)

See also

List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards

References

External links

Official website

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:American dance musicians Category:American hip hop record producers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Hip hop DJs Category:Crunk Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:The Apprentice (U.S. TV series) contestants Category:TVT Records artists Category:Universal Records artists

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Coordinates	33°37′0″N117°53′51″N
Name	Soulja Boy
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	DeAndre Cortez Way
Alias	Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
Born	July 28, 1990 Chicago, Illinois
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Occupation	Rapper
Genre	Hip hop
Years active	2007–present
Label	Stacks on Deck/Interscope
Associated acts	Arab, Mr. Collipark
Website	}}

DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, entrepreneur, and internet personality.

In September 2007, his single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was initially self-published on the internet, and it later became a number-one hit in the United States for seven non-consecutive weeks starting in September 2007.On August 17 Way was listed at #18 on the Forbes list of Hip-Hop Cash Kings of 2010 earning $7 million for that year.

Way has currently released three studio albums and one independent album: his debut studio album ''Souljaboytellem.com'' (2007) was certified platinum by the RIAA. However, his next two albums, ''iSouljaBoyTellem'' (2008) and ''The DeAndre Way'' (2010) did not match the commercial success of his debut, the latter only selling 80,000 copies, despite the success of several singles across both albums, such as "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" and "Turn My Swag On" (''iSouljaBoyTellem'') and "Pretty Boy Swag" (''The DeAndre Way''), the latter later being certified gold by the RIAA.

Early life

DeAndre Way was born in Chicago and moved to Atlanta at age six, where he became interested in rap music.

Career beginnings

At age 14, he moved to Batesville, Mississippi, with his father, who provided a recording studio for Way to explore his musical ambitions. Way founded his record label "Stacks on Deck Entertainment" in 2004. While Way was signed under Interscope and Collipark Music, he claimed that his label had distribution deals with Interscope, Universal Records, and Koch. In November 2005, Way posted his songs on the website SoundClick. Following positive reviews on the site, he then established his own web pages on YouTube and MySpace. In March 2007, he recorded "Crank That" and released his first independent album ''Unsigned & Still Major: Da Album Before da Album'', followed by a low-budget video filmed demonstrating the "Crank That" dance. By the end of May 2007, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" received its first airplay and Way met with Mr. Collipark to sign a deal with Interscope Records.

Music career

2007-08: souljaboytellem.com

On August 12, 2007, the song appeared on the Emmy-award winning HBO series ''Entourage'', and by September 1, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot RingMasters charts. Way's major label debut album ''Souljaboytellem.com'', which was reportedly recorded using just the demo version of FL Studio, was released in the United States on October 2, peaking at #4 on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums charts.

For the 50th Grammy Awards, Way was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song with "Crank That (Soulja Boy)". He lost to Kanye West's and T-Pain's "Good Life".

''Souljaboytellem.com'' received a favorable review from Allmusic, but received mainly negative reviews from other sources such as ''Entertainment Weekly''. Several reviewers credited Soulja Boy with spearheading a new trend in hip-hop, while speculating he will likely be a one-hit wonder.

2008-09: iSouljaBoyTellem

The follow-up to ''souljaboytellem.com'', ''iSouljaBoyTellem'', was released on December 16, 2008, to negative critical reception. The first single from the album, "Bird Walk", peaked at number 40 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the top 20 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart it was performed on the first ''YouTube Live'' on November 22, 2008, with an introduction from MC Hammer. "Kiss Me Thru the Phone", with Sammie, followed, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot Rap Tracks charts. Chris Brown was originally Way's first choice to sing the hook, but respectfully turned down the offer. Way then tried to do it on his own with Auto-Tune but he found it unacceptable. It sold over 2,000,000 digital copies in the United States, becoming his second song to reach the two million mark in downloads.

On January 26, 2009 Way released his third single "Turn My Swag On". it topped the US Rap Charts and peaked at #19 on the Hot 100. it has so far sold over 1,000,000 digital downloads in the US. It became Soulja Boy's third song to sell 1 million or more downloads.

2009-2010: The DeAndre Way

''The DeAndre Way'' is Way's third studio album, Way has stated that the album is intended to be his most personal and successful album thus far. When speaking on possible collaborations, he stated he wished to work with artists such as Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Kanye West, Eminem, among others. The lead single from the album, "POW", was released in January 2009 but failed to garner success and was dubbed a promo single. On October 30, 2009 Way released three mixtapes ''Paranormal Activity'', ''Dat Piff'' & ''Cortez''. Then it was announced on February 18, 2010 that the first single from the album was gone be "All Black Everything" but it was cancelled & was just put on his promotional mixtape ''Legendary''. The album was titled "The DeAndre Way" but was changed in early 2010 to ''Dre'' with a commercial video snippet for "Do It Big" as the first single but it was cancelled as well. However it was reverted back to ''The DeAndre Way'' in July 2010.

But on June 8, 2010, the official lead single from the album was "Pretty Boy Swag". The single has reached number thirty-four on the Billboard Hot 100, number six on the Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number five on the Billboard Rap Songs chart. The album's second single was due to be "Digital" but it was just used on his promotional mixtape ''Best Rapper''. Then it was announced that "Speakers Going Hammer" was gone be the second single, but "Blowing Me Kisses" was released on August 31, 2010 as the second single instead. On October 13 Soulja Boy performed "Pretty Boy Swag" & a snippet of his third single "Speakers Going Hammer". On October 19, 2010 Way finally released "Speakers Going Hammer" on iTunes the single peaked at #48 on the ''Hot R&B; & Hip Hop tracks'' Billboard. ''The DeAndre Way'' was released on November 30, 2010 it has so far has only sold 70,000 copies making this Way's lowest selling album. Soulja Boy was to be part of the Summerbeatz tour held in Australia alongside Flo Rida, Jay Sean and Travie McCoy in November 2010, but in lieu of his current album release date Soulja Boy had declined the offer & just embarked on his Who They Want tour.

2011-present: Mixtapes and Respect My Hustle

On January 22, Way released his first mixtape of 2011 ''Smooky'' which cover featured a cartoon version of Way on a bicycle doing a 360. Then On March 17, 2011 Way released the mixtape ''1up'' which cover was based on the Naruto anime Way stated "If I was in a video game, this mixtape would advance me to the next level with an extra life. Power up with the new offering". On April 20, 2011 Way released his mixtape ''Juice'' which cover was based on the ''Juice'' the movie Way stated he would also released a mini movie of his own to go along with the mixtape Way stated that he was headed to greatness with the mixtape. In September 2011, Way confirmed he is working on a new album, called ''Respect My Hustle'', which will be released in October.

Personal life

Legal issues

On December 9, 2007, Way was sued by William Lyons (a.k.a. Souljah Boy of Mo Thugs Family) who created the stage name "Souljah Boy" in 1996.

On October 7, 2009, Way was arrested on one count of obstruction, a misdemeanor, for running from police when he'd been ordered to stop. The rapper was released on $550 bond.

In May 2011, Way and his labels were sued by a local Pennsylvania promoter for failing to make promised payments in connection with a rescheduled concert.

Victim of robbery and assault

On December 30, 2008, Way was robbed and assaulted in his home. Initial reports indicated that the robbers were six masked men with AK-47s and pistols but on December 31, 2008, video clips surfaced on the Internet of two masked men claiming sole credit for the crime. Soulja Boy described the incident to MTV News a month later: He had come home very late at night after attending an album release party and was recording songs with friends when the robbers came in pointing their guns.

Family tragedies

On March 22, 2011, Way's little brother Deion Jenkins was killed in a car crash on Sunday night. Then on March 24, 2011 Way's older brother threatened to committ suicide.

Controversies

Way's music has been banned from some school dances for sexual and violent content or innuendo. However, he has denied these claims. In the original YouTube video for "Shootout", Soulja Boy demonstrates his dance while holding a handgun in each hand and pretending to shoot into the audience.

Nas

On February 25, 2008, Way said in an interview that "Nas killed hip hop and his own career". Way later apologized for his comments.

Ice-T

In June 2008, on DJ Cisco's ''Urban Legend'' mixtape, Ice-T told Way to "eat a dick" and criticized Way for "killing hip-hop" and his song "Crank That" for being "garbage" compared to the works of other hip-hop artists such as Rakim, Das EFX, Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube. The two then traded videos back and forth over the Internet. Rapper Kanye West defended Way by arguing that the younger artist created a new, original work for hip-hop, thus keeping the authentic meaning of the music. The feud was parodied in a 2010 episode of The Boondocks.

Charles Hamilton

On December 9, 2008, Charles Hamilton commented in a interview by saying that Way was making it harder for new artists to be signed. Way responded by saying "X out the Sonic and fuck with Mario, you might want to got damn eat a mushroom." Charles Hamilton responded with the diss song "Im You Last Year With Talent". Then the diss song "Word Aight".

Bow Wow

On February 2, 2009, Way challenged Bow Wow to a race in their Lamborghinis and claimed Bow Wow's Lamborghini was a rental. On February 4, 2009 Bow Wow proved that he owned his Lamborghini and said "its halloween in Bankhead for you everyday nigga..you scared..you all nervous and shit". Way responded on twitter by saying "HE FUCKED UP!!!! IM BOUT TO SHITTTT ON THIS NIGGA!! LOL!!!!!". On February 7, 2009 both artist sent diss songs to each other such as Way's "Fuck Bow Wow" & Bow Wow's "What I Think About You". Later that day during a phone conversation both rappers settled their differences.

Fabolous

On December 28, 2010, Fabolous during a radio interview commented on the claim that Way does cocaine, saying "pretty boy swag but never coke my nose though", a reference to Way's song "Pretty Boy Swag. "Soulja Boy went on a tirade on Twitter in response, saying "I ignore dis foo like 5x before this. fuck that. If you send some niggaz to spray me @myfabolouslife at least I die I real nigga fuck you boy." 50 Cent also took to Twitter to say, "leave him the f*** alone before somebody get hurt." Way and Fabolous ended their beef on a radio interview.

"Let's Be Real"

In September 2011, Soulja Boy released the song "Let's Be Real". One of the lines of the song went: ''"Fuck the FBI and the army troops ... fighting for what? Be your own man ... I'll be flying through the clouds with green like I'm Peter Pan."'' After the song was released, Soulja Boy was highly criticized by the military members and their families, especially in regards to the timing relative to the 10th anniversary of the September 11 Attacks. Soulja Boy apologized, "When I expressed my frustration with the US Army, not only did my words come out wrong, I was wrong to even speak them." He adds, "So, I write this to give my sincerest apology to all members of the United States military services, as well as their families that were offended by my most recent lyrics." Representatives for Soulja Boy have indicated that the song has been pulled from his upcoming album, ''Respect My Hustle,'' and will not be available for sale. They are also attempting to remove the video from the internet.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Souljaboytellem.com'' (2007)

''iSouljaBoyTellem'' (2008)

''The DeAndre Way'' (2010)

''Respect My Hustle'' (2011)

Tours

''Americas Most Wanted'' (2009)

''Who They Want'' (2011)

Filmography

Film
! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
2007	''YouTube Live''	Himself	Small Role
2008	''What's at Stake?'''	Himself	Small Role
2009	''School Gyrls''	Himself	Cameo
2010	''Malice N Wonderland''	Soulja	Small Role
2011	''TBA''	''TBA''
Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	! Notes
	''The Ellen DeGeneres Show''	Himself
''Last Call with Carson Daly''	Himself
	''Live with Regis''	Himself	Minor appearance
''Access Granted''	Himself	For his music video for "Bird Walk"
	''When I Was 17''	Himself
''The Mo'Nique Show''	Himself
''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon''	Himself
''Lopez Tonight''	Himself
''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''	Himself

Awards and nominations

BET Awards

*2007: Best New Artist (Nominated)

*2008: Viewer's Choice Award: "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" (Nominated)

*2009: Viewer's Choice Award: "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" (Nominated)

BET Hip-Hop Awards

*'2007: Best Hip-Hop Dance (Won)'

Grammy Awards

*2008: Best Rap Song: "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" (Nominated)

Ozone Awards

*'2007: Patiently Waiting: Mississippi (Won)'

*2008: Best Breakthrough Artist (Nominated)

*2008: TJ's DJ's Tastemaker Award (Nominated)

Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

*2007: Favorite Male Singer (Nominated)

Teen Choice Awards

*2009: Choice Music: Rap Artist (Nominated)

*2009: Choice Music: R&B; Track for "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" (Nominated)

*2009: Choice Music: Hook Up for "Kiss Me Thru the Phone"

*2009: Choice Music: Artist (Nominated)

See also

List of artists who reached number one in the United States

References

External links

Official website

Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Mississippi Category:African American actors Category:African American rappers Category:African-American businesspeople Category:African American film actors Category:American film actors Category:American film producers Category:American hip hop record producers Category:American Internet personalities Category:American music industry executives Category:American music video directors Category:American pop musicians Category:American record producers Category:Businesspeople from Mississippi Category:Hip hop musicians Category:Hip hop singers Category:Interscope Records artists Category:People from Panola County, Mississippi Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Rappers from Chicago, Illinois Category:Rappers from Mississippi

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