Staff report

ASHLAND, Ky. — Rapper Soulja Boy will bring his signature sound to the stage of the Paramount Arts Center in September.
By combining the party-oriented snap music of Atlanta with the harder underground styles of Chicago and his native Mississippi, Soulja Boy conceived an uncomplicated unique sound and greatly profited from it with “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” a single that topped the pop chart in 2007, received multiple platinum certifications and was up for a Grammy (Best Rap Song).
After a three-album period with Interscope that generated additional crossover hits like “Kiss Me Thru the Phone,” “Turn My Swag On,” and “Pretty Boy Swag” through 2010, the rapper and producer returned underground and became truly prolific as an independent artist, releasing numerous full-length projects on an annual basis each year.
At the same time, Soulja Boy continues to take on occasional outside production work, including a cut for Lil Wayne, and he counts the likes of Migos, the Game and Nicki Minaj among the artists who have sought him out for guest appearances.
Tickets for the Sept. 14 show are available at ParamountArtsCenter.com, by phone at 606-324-0007 or in person at the Paramount Arts Center box office at 1300 Winchester Ave., Ashland, Kentucky.
Soulja Boy’s unique fusion comes from having been born in Chicago but raised in Atlanta and then Mississippi, where he hooked up with the Palm Tree Promotions team. Palm Tree put Soulja Boy in local showcases, but the fledgling rapper, a savvy proponent of social media, also uploaded his music to the internet. Numerous downloads of early tracks came first; then the posted videos of Soulja Boy doing his dance moves took it to another level.
Following in his steps, fans uploaded their own dance videos anywhere and everywhere, spreading the word and consequently turning Soulja Boy into a grassroots phenomenon.
“Crank That Soulja Boy” became both his anthem and breakthrough track in 2007, when Interscope picked it up and gave it a commercial release. On its way to triple platinum status, the song went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and was later nominated for a Best Rap Song Grammy.
For more information, visit www.ParamountArtsCenter.com.