Who Was the First Rapper on YouTube?

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Written by: Alex Popa

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Who Was the First Rapper on YouTube?

Have you ever heard about Soulja Boy? If you haven’t, then you’re about to. As it turns out, he was the first rapper to upload a rap song on YouTube.

These aren’t just empty claims, though. The rapper brings proof that he was indeed the first rapper to post on YouTube shortly after its launch.

You might also know about Soulja Boy’s reputation of being the “first” in many things, something that he has no qualms reminding everyone about.

Keep reading if you’re curious about the things Soulja Boy takes credit for!

Summary: In this article, I discuss Soulja Boy's claim of being the first rapper to upload a rap song on YouTube, as well as his reputation for being the first in many other areas. 

Soulja Boy was indeed an early adopter of YouTube, posting his first rap video in March 2006. While he has some legitimate firsts under his belt, not all of his claims are backed up by evidence. 

Regardless, Soulja Boy's influence on music and popular culture, including inspiring TikTok dances, is undeniable.

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Who Was the First Rapper on YouTube?

When Did Soulja Boy Upload His First YouTube Video?

When pressed about his claims about being rapper no.1 on YouTube, Soulja Boy posted this on Twitter.

Soulja Boy proved that he was the first rapper on YouTube
Soulja Boy proved that he was the first rapper on YouTube

Soulja Boy posted an excerpt from an article from 2016 that said, “YouTube officially launched on December 15, 2005. Soulja Boy uploaded his first video just three months afterward, solidly characterizing him as an early adopter.

That would mean Soulja Boy uploaded the first rap video on YouTube in March 2006, which checks out. He was indeed the foremost rapper on YouTube.

He was on YouTube even earlier than Justin Bieber, and many said he was the first on YouTube. That’s false.

This is the song that he posted back on March 15th, 2006. It’s further evidence that he was the first rapper to post a song on YouTube.

Creators can’t change the date of a video once it’s already posted.

This gives credence to Soulja Boy on his other “I was first” claims, but not all are backed up by evidence?

What Else Is Soulja Boy a First in?

There’s a whole list of things that Soulja Boy claims he was first in:

  • First rapper to drop an NFT
  • First to “discover” Logan Paul
  • First, to get paid by YouTube through monetization
  • First wear an iced-out G-Shock Rolex
  • First to wear BAPE, and he’s the reason why people wear BAPE
  • First to wear the Jordan V Raging Bulls
  • First to wear the Versace robe in the Versace store
  • First rapper with a brand of “lean”
  • The first rapper on Twitter spaces
  • First rapper with a video game console
  • First rapper to release a #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 at 16 years old

The list could go on, especially when Soulja Boy asked Elon Musk to take him into space. Then, he would be the first rapper in space.

It seems that his reputation of being first got to Soula Boy’s head. Now, he wants to be first at everything.

If you listened to some rumors, Soulja Boy was the first human on Earth and the first human who’ll walk on the Sun.

While the rapper does have credible evidence for some of his statements, others are unfounded, and we don’t know if they’re true.

Conclusion

To summarize, the first rapper on YouTube was Soulja Boy. He’s a legend to this day, mainly because of the many trends he has started.

Some of the most popular TikTok dances are attributed to him. Or, more specifically, to his rap songs that inspired TikTokers to make dances.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below, and I’ll try to help you as much as possible!

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Alex Popa

My name is Alex and I have a knack for social media in all its shapes and forms. I’ve dealt with such things for quite some time and I noticed that many people have issues with social media and technicalities.

Unforeseen errors, bugs, and other problems make their use of social media problematic. These things will be discussed amply in the guides on Whizcase.

I'll present the facts as they are, and offer quick and easy solutions for them.

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