Is Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em Really Causing the End of Hip Hop?

All of this being said, the new album (iSouljaBoyTellEm) hasn’t flown off the shelves, although given the nature of the songs he’s written, and the recent “no more curse words” pledge to his fans, I expect the singles and ring tones are going to be what makes the real money for him. This is interesting when you consider that for a long time the singles market has been in decline, and that ringtones definitely don’t generate the revenue that a platinum album will.

The mediocre sales for this album suggest something interesting though, that while having a number one hit and all that air play might get you noticed, it won’t necessarily sell a record for you. So to me, personally, I don’t “hate” what he’s doing but I’m not sure I’d call it “truly authentic” hip hop music either. I’m just left wondering about it.

His music is infectious and catchy, and has a huge pop-factor kind of appeal, making it something to be liked by the younger generation, which is a good thing. For me though, I feel that he’s peaked a little early. By this I mean that he’s young and there will always be things that you can improve on over time, which comes with experience.  I’m sure that in five years he might look back at FL studio and wonder why he didn’t pay for the full version, or even just buy himself a copy of something more, shall we say, professional.

In reflection, I don’t feel that Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em is the finished product yet. This makes it harder to hate what music he creates now, as he clearly has some potential. In a couple of years though, he might find something new and special to bring to his work that will really set him apart. When this happens, he could be huge.

Pages: 1 2