The Soulja Boy bashing needs to stop. I've been feeling this way for a while now but after watching the meeting between KRS-One and Souljah Boy, on BET's Rap City, it made me realize how harmless this young man is and how theseso-called  gangsters are just picking on him for attention.  

Soulja Boy is a genius.  He's a kid with a vision and he executed it to perfection.  This young man without major label support or mentoring by anyone created one of the most ingenious online marketing plans and became a sensation.  At 16 years old he did what many artists record execs, in this day and age, can't, and many artists wish they could.  He produced his own music, wrote his own lyrics (however simple they may be), created a dance and a unique look for himself.  Then used the internet to create a fan base and hustled his way to #1.  If nothing else, Soulja Boy is a marketing genius. 

But the question remains, is he a good artist or representation of Hip Hop music?  Yes, because selling as many units as he did and bringing in a new generation of hip hop fans is good for the industry as a whole. Hip Hop has always been about diversity and Soulja Boy obviously appeals to a certain fan and once that fan accepts Hip Hop they will probably go on to listen to other artists, such as Nas or KRS-One.  

More importantly, is he a good representation of Hip Hop culture?  I can't answer that because Hip Hop culture means so many different things to different people.  Young men and women from the projects who are "living it" are going to have a different perspective on what Hip Hop is, as opposed to the suburban, middle-class fans who just enjoy it as rebellious music. 

I'm no fan of Soulja Boy's music but I'll tell you what I do like about this young man.  The fact that he did it on his own, grassroots.  He created his own movement by himself and most importantly he didn't take on the persona of being a thug, killer, gangbanger, etc..  He didn't come out killing anyone on his records.  He was just a happy-go-lucky, fun loving kid, dancing and rapping.  Isn't that what rap was originally about anyway?  Would he have been more acceptable if he would've rapped about killing, robbing, and drug dealing?  Before gangsta rap wasn't rap about about having fun?  Critics want him to be more lyrical, why?  He's making Hip Hop dance music!    

Soulja Boy is going through some of the same criticism that MC Hammer went through during his time.  Hammer was criticized for being too commercial and selling out, for taking sponsorships and now, ironically, every rapper is doing it.  What the MC Hammers' and Soulja Boys' of Hip Hop do is widen the fan base and that's good for every artist and the music as a whole.  MC Hammer through his silly dances and clothing made rap accessible to the masses who might have been frightened off by the dark messages of N.W.A. and gangster rap, which was the prevalent rap music at the time.  Those fans who were introduced to rap through MC Hammer, are probably still fans of the music and are buying Jay Z and Kanye West albums today.  

Point is every Hip Hop artist who appeals to the masses is relevant and represents a certain aspect of the culture.  Soulja Boy is a young man who deserves credits for his accomplishments, and as far as I know he never declared himself to be the "best rapper alive" or "king" of anything, he's just grinding, doing what he does and what many wish they could do.  Don't be mad at the player, be mad at the game.  If anyone has beef they should take it to the fans because they're the ones buying and supporting it.  

Does Ice T really think that if the fans weren't listening to Soulja Boy they'd be listening to him?  No, if this generation feels like dancing they're going to find music to dance to, and Ice T doesn't make that type of music.  So what's the problem?  If Ice T is mad because Soulja Boy doesn't represent Hip Hop, well neither do you Ice, you haven't for a long time.  But if Ice felt that Soulja Boy needed a lesson in Hip Hop then he could've found a more productive way than saying "eat a d--k Soulja Boy," a man his age should know better.  If he doesn't like his lyrics, I find that intriguing because I never found Ice T to be the most prolific rapper, even at his prime.  If he opposes Soulja Boy's style of dress, then he needs look back at his own permed out, pimp attire of years ago, or go attack Flavor Flav.  If he or anyone feels Soulja Boy is killing Hip Hop then I say, save it, resurrect it, do something!  But stop picking on this young man who's just trying to come up.    

What was surprising about the BET meeting between KRS-One and Soulja Boy was how little knowledge the young rapper had of Hip Hop history.  I find that troublesome.  Being that he is an artist, I would expect him to be more knowledgeable of the origins and history of this culture.  Hopefully this meeting will inspire him to look beyond 50 Cent, who he claimed is his "old school," and study the rich history beyond that.  If he does, as a rapper and producer, he will see his music grow from simple lyrics and beats, and become a true art form.  You can't move into the future without some knowledge of the past.

In closing let me say, I'm no fan of Soulja Boy but that doesn't mean I hate him, in fact I have great respect for this young man.  What he has been able to accomplish at 18 years of age is nothing less than incredible.  

VIDEO: Soulja Boy talks about his success