Soulja Boy. It’s sweeping the nation. The song, the dance, the rapper. As a former student of Anthropology, naturally I’m fascinated by what fuels a trend like this. Is it the catchy tune? The lyrics? The dance? His style? Some unknown element that touches the heartstrings of humanity?
My first introduction to Soulja Boy was in my bar where, recently, some of the customers started doing this crazy dance. Totally clueless as to what “crank that soulja boy” or “supaman” was, I went home and got on YouTube. Turns out that not only has the song/dance/video become exceedingly viral, but now there are a plethora of home videos as well as clips spliced together from animated movies/tv shows inspired by Soulja Boy. Whether you’re into SB or not, some of the copycat videos are worth checking out.
Warning: If you actually click on all the following links you will SO be sick of the song by the end of this post. (Either that, or you’ll know the dance and have become one of “them”.)
But, first. Who is this Soulja Boy character?? Born DeAndre Way, the rapper/producer who has become an internet sensation with a growing cult following is only 17 years old. Though from humble roots, his beats, style, and personality quickly got him noticed by Interscope Records and his career is rapidly gaining momentum. Read the rest of his bio and more on the official Soulja Boy website. Or on his MySpace.
Now, for the videos. To search for more of his stuff, check out his YouTube profile. But, here is the original video. So ya, that’s what started all the hype (actually SB and his buddy A-Rab posting clips online was probably what started it originally, but you know what I mean). What I’m more interested in are the spin-offs! Here are some highlights:
There’s Winnie the Pooh, Lion King, Sponge Bob, Family Guy and obviously Superman for starters in the animated category. Next, we have the home videos by people of all ages and from all walks of life. No, seriously. Like these kids. Or University of Wisconson basketball coach, Bo Ryan. Or this dance class. The Miami Canes’ mascot even. Oh and these little dudes are not bad. Not to mention the random hot girls (3 separate links). Everybody’s doin’ it…
Some are clearly more accomplished dancers than others. But hey, gotta love the enthusiasm! There are too many to list from the “goofy white boy” category, but here are a few: sample 1, sample 2, sample 3.
Speaking of goofy, this is my favorite:
Yuuuaaaaaaaaaaa.
