Soulja Boy, the rapper who turned “Crank That” into a cultural phenomenon, is once again making waves with a bold new claim. On March 28, 2025, he hopped onto X (formerly Twitter) to announce that he holds the crown as the “first rapper with a keyboard on the iPhone.”
In his X post, Soulja Boy proudly displayed his customized iPhone setup: a sleek touchscreen paired with a chunky orange keyboard, all laid out on a speckled surface. The phone’s screen showed an Instagram feed, with the time reading 10:42. His caption was short and confident:
“First rapper with a keyboard on the iPhone.”
The reactions poured in fast. One fan, Elliott, gushed,
“this goes hard asf soulja. nice cop. where can i get me one of these,”
clearly vibing with the nostalgic vibe. But not everyone was sold. Ethan Stoner fired back with a blunt “Retard,” while BabaMTL quipped,
“Defeats the purpose of calling it an iPhone.. It’s just a Motorola w touch screen.”
This isn’t just a random flex. Soulja Boy’s keyboard move taps into a growing nostalgia for physical keyboards, a trend that’s been bubbling up as people crave the tactile feel of older devices. Whether it’s a genuine passion for retro tech or a calculated bid for attention, it’s working. The post has people talking, and that’s exactly what Soulja Boy thrives on.
If there’s one thing Soulja Boy, born DeAndre Cortez Way, loves, it’s claiming a “first.” Over the years, he’s built a brand around being a trailblazer, especially where hip-hop and tech collide.
Here’s a quick rundown of some of his past boasts:
Soulja Boy Claims to Be First Rapper to Pilot a Plane: In a video posted on twitter now X, he was seen inside an airplane, confidently stating, “Here’s your boy Soulja Boy. You know what’s going on. I’m the first rapper ever to fly a plane”.
First to blow up via YouTube: Back in 2007, he used YouTube to push “Crank That” into the stratosphere, a move that redefined music promotion.
First rapper with an NFT: In March 2021, he jumped on the NFT train, claiming to lead the pack in hip-hop’s digital art scene.
First with his own gaming console: In 2019, he rolled out the SouljaGame console, pitching himself as a gaming pioneer.
Not all these claims hold up under scrutiny, but they’ve kept him in the spotlight.
As Revolt TV points out, Soulja Boy has a knack for spotting trends early and spinning them into his narrative. This keyboard stunt? It fits the pattern perfectly.
Soulja Boy’s antics don’t stop at social media. His legal woes have also kept him in the news. Recently, he was tied up in a civil trial in Santa Monica Superior Court over a 2019 incident with his ex-girlfriend, Kayla Christine Myers. She accused him of assault and kidnapping, alleging he held a gun to her head, kicked her, and tied her up. Soulja Boy denied it all, but in April 2023, a jury sided with Myers, hitting him with $235,900 in compensatory damages and another $235,900 in punitive damages, totaling $471,800, according to ABC7.
Recently, during a break in his civil trial in Santa Monica, California, on March 26, 2025, Soulja Boy returned to the courtroom carrying a strong odor of marijuana, which was noticed by court security. The moment didn’t go unnoticed by legal reporter Meghann Cuniff, who has been covering the trial extensively. Seizing the opportunity, Cuniff directly asked Soulja Boy whether he had used an Indica or Sativa strain.
She later shared the interaction in a post on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the unexpected contrast between the gravity of the trial—where Soulja Boy faces allegations of sexual assault, assault, and kidnapping—and the casual exchange about marijuana.
From a funky iPhone keyboard to courtroom battles, Soulja Boy knows how to keep his name buzzing. His latest “first” might lean more on nostalgia than true innovation, but it’s another win for his brand of relentless self-promotion.
