Soulja Boy: “I’m #1″

After reading the headline, “Soulja Boy Claims He’s The Hottest MC In the Game — Better Than Jay-Z, Kanye…” on MTV.com, I became very angry…and then, very sad.

Months ago, MTV did a “Hottest MCs in the Game” list. The criteria for ranking on that list was as follows: 1) straight-up skills, 2) success (both musical and entrepreneurial), 3) impact on the game and 4) swagger: an MC’s cool factor and how they carry themselves on and off recording.

My tale of the tape: S.B.’s skills are non-existent, his success is pretty good, his impact on the game will be minimal (in the long run) and his swagger…well, who cares?

Yet, if you look at that list, our beloved Soulja Boy is no where to be found.

“I think if y’all did it right now, yeah, I deserve to be on there,” he said. “I’m Grammy-nominated,” he continued, citing his credentials. “If I look at the new list and I compare myself to all 10 of the artists and some don’t add up, I’ll be like, ‘Wow. I should be #1 if it’s right now. I’m #1.“

Soulja Boy was…more candid when asked how he ranks specifically against alumni of the first Hottest MCs list, like Weezy, ‘Ye and Jay-Z.

“Right now, yes [I'm hotter than them],” he answered as their names were read to him one by one.

I ask you this: what makes an MC hot? Is it record sales? Is mass appeal? Is it marketability? Different people may have different criteria. For me, the answers to these is a straight-up “NO.”

Now, I’m all for people believing in themselves, it’s how things get done, it’s how people stay motivated. But if seeing is believing, I don’t see (or hear) much when it comes to Soulja Boy. The proof is in the pudding.

Some may ask, “Mike, why are you hating on Soulja Boy? Why don’t you like his music?”

Well, the answer is it’s because I’m not 10 years-old, nor do I read at a 5th grade level, which is what I believe is required to tolerate such music.

I’ll be honest, it’s hard to hate on someone who is self-made. But quite honestly, I feel that there are numerous people out there (myself included) that are capable of making beats and rapping just like our little friend Soulja Boy. So, just how unique and special and “hot” does that make him?

To me, it doesn’t mean much when I hear that other rappers such as 50 Cent, Nas and Busta Rhymes have “endorsed” or “co-signed” Soulja Boy and his music. They’re basically giving him his props, something which I refuse to do.

In the article it stated, “S.B. said to give him three or four more years to get his focus on being more lyrical in his tracks.”

I hate to tell you this, but three or four years from now, Soulja Boy will be nothing but a small glint in the eye of the hip-hop world, if that. Just another fad, gone with the likes of “Da Dip,” “Whoomp! There It Is,” along with the rest of his and Hurricane Chris’ music catalog.

“They’ll say I opened up a lot of doors for people,” Soulja Boy explained. “The first person who started this, what we call hip-hop, opened the door for me. It probably wasn’t a party track or a ‘Crank That,’ it probably was something way, way, way different than what I’m talking about, but he still opened the door for what I’m doing, and if I never would have did this, [the next] wouldn’t come.”

The fact that the youngster says the first hip-hop “was something way, way, way different” is the biggest understatement of the century and shows his lack of knowledge for hip-hop.

And please Soulja Boy, refrain from opening doors for anymore “YOOOOOOOUUUS,” literally and figuratively.

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