If you were to judge him based only on various comment sections around the Internet, Soulja Boy is the worst thing to ever happen to Hip Hop music. But for all the criticism he draws, he keeps selling albums and singles. In the newest issue of Billboard magazine, Soulja Boy credits 50 Cent, Kanye West for his continued success.

While in Hawaii working on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye showed his support for Soulja Boy via Twitter, saying he “was one of my favorite most genius artists” and that the Atlanta native’s penchant for creating new slang and his work behind the boards represented “real hip hop.”

In the lab with Soulja Boy and Cudi… 2 of my favorite most genius artist. Even in my disappointment about the leaks I feel blessedSep 30th via webKanye West
kanyewest

“He changed the whole style I was using to make beats,” Soulja Boy told Billboard. “He was like, ‘What equipment do you use?’ I said, ‘A laptop.’ And he had three pianos, a keyboard, a PC. So that inspired me to open myself up musically.”

The initial meeting with West and the changes it spawned sparked “Pretty Boy Swag,” which went on to sell over 500,000 copies. In addition to West, Soulja Boy said he picked 50 Cent’s brain on how to expand his brand beyond music. The result was the memoir, Teenage Millionaire, the 50 Cent collaboration “Mean Mug” and a recent cover of XXL magazine.

“When I was unsigned, 50 was doing it, and not just in the music industry: Vitaminwater, movies, books,” Soulja Boy explained. “He helped shape what I envision for my career.”