Soulja Boy Tell Em Albums (3)
'iSouljaboytellem'
Release Date 12/16/2008
Tracks 16
Label Interscope
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What The Critics Say
Short on new ideas and lacking in cohesion, Soulja Boy Tell Em's second official full-length finds the young upstart trying way too hard to re-create the bazillion selling "Crank That" and repeatedly coming up short. The mindless "Bird Walk" is the most obvious attempt, combining the same Southern-styled production, the same shouts of "Youuuuuu!," and the same silly dance instructions. Problem is, it comes with a much less infectious hook and no ridiculous "Why me crank that Robocop?"-type lyrics to savor. "Botty Got Swag (Donk, Pt. 2)" and "Wit My Yums On" are more of the same but it's the truly maddening "Hey You There" and its taunting of the "big fat police dude" at the mall that really takes the cake, with lyrics and melody that are juvenile beyond belief. Going in the completely opposite direction, "Shoppin' Spree" kicks off with G-Unit-styled gun shots before going completely gangsta with Gucci Mane and Yo Gotti flexing and posing. This unbelievable attempt to go hard will only sound vicious to the pre-teen set, and the inclusion of Gucci and Gotti suggests some crossover hopes and desire for hardcore rap acceptance, as if Soulja Boy could flip his squeaky-clean, daytime-television-appearing image with one rickety track. Parents stuck with a die-hard fan in the home can at least tolerate the free-form "Eazy," which gets fairly clever with the nonsense, plus the puppy-love swooner "Kiss Me Thru the Phone," which shows some improvement over the previous album's cavity-inducing ballad "Soulja Girl." ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
'Souljaboytellem.com'
Release Date 10/2/2007
Tracks 14
Label Interscope
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What The Critics Say
In a year filled with quirky hip-hop party tunes, their accompanying dances, and the YouTube-fueled teen mania that would follow, Soulja Boy Tell Em's killer pop-rap single "Crank That" stood out from the crowd thanks to the charismatic showman at its center and his strange way with words. Produced by the 17-year-old Soulja Boy Tell Em himself, "Crank That" combines a steel drum hook with a fat-bottomed Mississippi beat, but it's the bizarre lyrics that matter most as questions like "Why me crank that Robocop?" sit next to nonsensical called-out dance instructions. Only a few of the tracks on Soulja Boy Tell Em's debut advocate a dance, but this formula of infectious hook, trunk-rumbling beat, and wonderfully dumb words is all the album knows. If it wasn't for the whiny guitar riff, "Snap and Roll" could easily be mistaken for "Crank That," while "Bapes" is more of the same at a slower tempo with Soulja Boy Tell Em wondering why haters get mad when he dons his Bathing Ape gear. It's only after the great "Report Card" ("Check out my report card/Looked at it, all F's/Took it the teacher/Said 'Throw some D's on it'") that the party drops off, which isn't just a testament to Soulja Boy Tell Em's unique skills but also to executive producer Mr. Collipark's great attitude towards the overall product. Collipark and his crew, the Package Store, handle production for a handful of numbers, Arab and Los Vegaz both helm a tune, but the rest is left to Soulja Boy Tell Em and the end result is a debut that feels like it was downloaded right off a Southern hood laptop. This solid party album should satisfy giggling Right On! readers with pin-ups in their locker, way too cool mash-up fans that carry gigabytes of club music in their pocket, and all the freaky party people in between. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
'Unsigned and Still Major: Da Album Before Da Album'
Release Date 3/19/2007
Tracks 19
Label Palmtree/Stacks on Deck
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