Review: Soulja Boy - Young Millionaire
By Eric Perzanowski, Staff Writer
[SODMG Ent.; 2014]
Rating: 2/10
Key Tracks: “You Already Know”
There are many things for which I’ll remember 6th grade; one that will always stand out with negative connotations is the emergence of rapper Soulja Boy. The annoyingly infectious “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” created an epidemic within my school; it seemed as if you could not go one class period without hearing a “Youuuuu!” or seeing someone doing the signature dance in the hallways. Most of this was alright, as it seemed to be in good jest, but what wasn’t alright with me was the ascension to hip-hop stardom for one Soulja Boy. For whatever reason, 11-year-old me was pissed.
With two full-length albums and over 40 mixtapes to his name since the release of Souljaboytellem.com, Soulja Boy has certainly kept himself busy over the past seven years. Whether or not the material’s any good, the fact that Soulja Boy has continued to make music--despite vocal oppositions from critics--is something that should be commended.
Young Millionaire is seconds away from reaching the 86-minute point. The length of Young Millionaire is certainly quite the time commitment, one that was somewhat difficult to make, given my past history with the music of Soulja Boy. Given the material presented on the mixtape, it certainly did not justify the time it took to listen to this.
Autotune is quite prevalent on Young Millionaire. The use of autotune itself is not a musical sin, as long as it’s utilized in a decent manner. There are times on this mixtape when it is just done ad nauseam.
“Mucho Guapo Pronto” is a prime offender of this autotune onslaught. There is a good chance that not a single word on this song was done without the aid of pitch correction. In most cases, the use of it wasn’t to compensate for a missed note, or whatever other reason artists utilize this tool; it seems as if it was done “just ‘cause.”
As a rapper, Soulja Boy seems to have improved. This improvement is heard through some of the verses on songs like “Trap Boy Soulja” and “Pablo Escobar,” on which Soulja Boy has a coherent and organized flow. Even if the hooks are repetitive and obnoxious, with lyrics relating to excessive partying and gloating about power, money, etc., there are several flashes throughout this mixtape when Soulja Boy is alright.
“You Already Know” stood stands out the most on this mixtape. Although it’s a bit of a generic song--one you’d likely hear as you stumble into some random house party and pay no mind to--there’s also some cohesion to it; the way all of its elements come together make it somewhat bearable. Additionally, the hook has some catchy qualities.
Fortunately, its catchiness is not to the degree of songs like “Crank That” and “Gucci Bandana,” which send your mind into a three-month loop during which the hook plays endlessly on repeat. However, it’s also one whose memorability fades after a couple tracks.
As the opener, “You Already Know” gave me hope that what was to follow would be somewhat different and somewhat better than what I remember from previous endeavors. And while that hope didn’t exactly pan out, the fact the song gave me hope is something worth noting.
Although Young Millionaire did not convert me from my long-past days of musical animosity towards Soulja Boy--and likely won’t for others in similar situations--that is fine. Soulja Boy appears to have found his environment, style and a base of people who will support him; the fact that he has continued to make music, rather than falling off the face of the earth following Souljayboytellem.com, is worth respecting. I’ve come to accept that this is just not my cup of tea, or in this case, lean.
