Album Reviews

Album Reviews: iSouljaboytellem by Soulja Boy

Just when the neighborhood grade school kids stopped doing the Superman dance and "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" had finally faded from the iPod inside your head, the world's most over-played rapper is giving you another album's worth of reasons to roll your eyes and listen to Ice-T. I imagine that !SouljaBoyTellEm is titled so closely to last year's SouljaBoyTellEm.com because there isn't anything new on this disc; unless you count the absence of another insta-hit like the one that brought this youngster to overnight success.

Soulja Boy could be given an "E" for effort on tracks like "Bird Walk" and "Soulja Boy Tell Em," but overall this disc falls flat. The beats are thin and overly repetitive, the lyrics (between the constant chants of "SOULJA BOY") are nearly laughable and his delivery lacks any real flow. At times, it can get downright irritating. Aside from a few exceptions, including the aforementioned tunes and the surprisingly melodic "Kiss Me Through The Phone" (featuring Sammi), this disc feels more like a byproduct of someone slapping together tracks in the studio rather than actual, thought-out songs.

In a world where creativity and a desire to push music forward don't equate to album sales, Soulja Boy is in good shape. For those who still believe, no worries, this fad will soon fade like the rest.

—Ryan Ogle
12.24.08