Soula Boy, 23, has been rapping professionally for at least six years and he says he’s learned to deal with detractors during that time. 

“I’ve been dealing with them my whole career,” Soulja Boy says in an interview with XXL. “They been hating on me ever since I came out when I was 17. I’ve been dealing with it. They not relevant. Who are they? You know what I’m saying? I just feel like I’ve been dealing with that since I was a young Soulja. I’m used to it, man. Fuck ‘em. I’m just gonna do me. Do me, bruh. That’s it.”

Soulja Boy says he has used this strategy for years, but adds that it’s not the only reason he’s found success.

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“What’s my secret is just, I really like what I do,” Soulja Boy says. “I like making music. I like swagging. I like shooting videos. I want to be the best rapper. Really. Deep down. As much as niggas hate on me and talk shit, I still come out with the hits. I still make the hardest beats. I drop a video all the time. I always have people talking about me. I always rock. My secret is, I really want this shit. You know what I am saying? A lot of rappers , they be in this position, they don’t really want this shit. I really want that shit. I want [the] top spot. I had the No. 1 song hella times. I want to be the best.

“I want another platinum album,” Soulja Boy adds. “I want another diamond album. I want a Grammy. I want a collab with Jay Z. I want a collab with Rihanna. Me and Wayne turnt up. Me and Drake turnt up. Me and 50 turnt up. I turned up with a lot of niggas man. Migos is my bros, we got a lot of new shit that’ll kill they ass. What I’m working for right now man is the next spot. I want to be in this shit—how many more years do I got left? 20? 30? Good 20-30 in the game? I’m 23, I ain’t gonna be rapping when I am 40. I’ma stop at, like, 30-something. Retire at 29 or some shit. I feel like once I’m 30—’OK, I’m going to own a corporation or some shit.’”

Soulja Boy says he is working on a music video for “We Made It” featuring Drake

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“We gonna make a video for sure,” Soulja says. “Video is coming. The treatment is crazy. It’s coming for sure. I think people are going to like it, man. I’m just turning up. I am just doing me. Drake, that’s the homie. People really like that record. Everywhere I go, they play it. Everywhere, it is getting bigger than I thought it was going to be. You gotta catch up to it.”

In January, Soulja Boy spoke about how “We Made It” came together.

“I just been in the studio working,” Soulja Boy said when asked about the record. “That was really like a intro record. Drake hit me and he was like, ‘Yo this is crazy.’ And we just put it out. The streets just been loving it. It’s crazy.”

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