Recently we’ve seen a lot of big companies try to leverage online video by either creating their own professional videos for the web or by holding UGC contests to get consumers to make them. But the best content is almost always unplanned, from the least likely source, and propelled by WOM.
Soulja Boy is just another great example of the democratization of entertainment. He was just a poor 16 year old kid from Batesville, Mississippi whose talent for hip hop and dancing didn’t mean anything until he first got access to a computer at his Dad’s house. He posted a video of him and some friends dancing to a new song called “Crank Dat (Soulja Boy)” on YouTube and MySpace. The video took off, and soon had hundreds of people imitating it: Crank Dat (Spiderman, Spongebob, Lion King, Urkel, Batman vs. Robocop). Even he can’t believe it.
This viral, grassroots campaign is unrivaled in music. Now the dance is the next Macerena (sorry to bring that up) with even stars like Beyonce and Remy Ma doing it, and Soulja Boy has a record deal with Interscope Records. His song is currently #14 on Billboard’s Top 100. The content the public likes really does float to the top, even if the gatekeepers don’t understand why it’s popular. Democracy works. And so does capitalism.
10 responses so far ↓
1 Lyric // Aug 22, 2007 at 9:07 am
OMG ya song iz tight as mug look every time dat song come on i get ^ and do dat dance it is tight
2 jessie // Aug 23, 2007 at 8:01 am
I think Soulja boy is so sexy me and him have the same birthday. I would love to meet him and get to no him. But anyways I think he is great his songs is tight my favroite is crank that soulja boy well holla at you later
3 alecia // Aug 31, 2007 at 7:57 am
a dude yor da stuff right noa ya know and dem dances u be comn up wit iz sick i hpe hope u com up wit some mo and go 2 da tpo i meen da very top much lov3 alecia
4 alecia // Aug 31, 2007 at 7:58 am
a wat u soulja boi da stuff right noa ya know and dem dances u be comn up wit iz sick i hpe hope u com up wit some mo and go 2 da tpo i meen da very top much lov3 alecia
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6 Kendall // Sep 13, 2007 at 4:07 pm
I LOVE SOULJA BOY !!!! He is so sexy and has so much style. I WOULD LOVE 2 meat him soon !$!$!$
7 Tink // Sep 16, 2007 at 9:57 am
Soulja Boy I Luv u So Much I Am Yo Biggest Fan U IZ SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fine
E Mail ME Whenever
8 aerlca Clark // Sep 16, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Where does Soulja Boi live?
9 Azia & fernanda // Sep 17, 2007 at 11:20 am
daammmmmmmmmmmmmmnnnnnnnnn ur so freakinnn hooooooooot!!!!!!
10 » Streaming Live: Your Life » Next Great Thing // Sep 28, 2007 at 8:14 am
[…] video widgets throughout the web—is launching a fair share of 15-minute-famers: everyone from Soulja Boy to the “Leave Britney Alone” kid, Chris Crocker, who signed for his own TV show last […]
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