Why Soulja Boy once accused OG rappers of “gatekeeping”
Since his breakout single ‘Crank That,’ Soulja Boy has become one of the most despised MCs in hip-hop. The Atlanta artist is known as a brash, arrogant and flashy character whose material does not match his ego. However, the emcee did have an undeniable impact on rap music.
Soulja Boy was a product of the MySpace era and early YouTube age when songs such as ‘Chicken Noodle Soup’ by Young B and ‘Donk’ ran rampant around the internet. They appealed to a highly young demographic that wanted to have fun and learn dance moves instead of hearing gangsta rap. As such, he is definitely a representative of the new, internet-assisted generation of MCs.
However, the Atlanta native believes that he along with many other young rappers today aren’t being supported by the older generation of hip-hop and is sure that some of the more significant lyricists from the culture are gatekeeping knowledge and stopping new talent from advancing in the industry.
In an Instagram Live rant, the ‘Crank Dat’ rhymer expressed his frustration at how unsupportive some of hip-hop’s elders have been in guiding and cultivating the fresh faces we see in rap music today.
Admitting it will never get handed to people on a plate, Soulja began, “Don’t get it f*cked up. You gotta work hard, you know what I’m saying?” However, that didn’t stop him from taking aim at the older generation, as he proceeded, “I feel like in a way, the motherf*cking game failed us because they’re not kicking back enough knowledge to the young ni**as. They not telling the youngin’s how to get no money.“
Soulja detailed how, in his opinion, the lack of guidance has contributed to the wild antics of young MCs today. Pinning the blame on those from previous eras, he continued, “They not tellin’ ni**as how to go out and run up some bands. That’s why my youngins out here going crazy. Airing sh*t out, spinning sh*t. Cause I feel like they failed us in a way.”
In a tracksuit and wearing what looked to be some heavy diamond necklaces, he continued his thoughts saying, “All the [OG’s] you supposed to be kicking knowledge. Y’all supposed to be kicking game to the young ni**as, so they really running up a bankroll, and that’s the problem I’m trying to tell you [bro]. Like, n*ggas look back and be like, where did this ni**a go wrong or what happened? I’m like, y’all not kicking back enough knowledge to the young ni**as.”
Although Soulja Boy is in no way old, as a product of the 2000s, he is not exactly brand new. As such, his opinion sparked some debate in the comments section, with many insisting that older legends are always on podcasts giving advice. One Instagram user responded to Soulja Boy, writing, “So much content out there with older Black men talking and giving game. It always be those that don’t have the ability to listen & learn saying this. lol lol lol.” While another fan pointed out Soulja’s age, commenting, “Bro, you been famous for 13 yrs, you do it.”