Soulja Boy - Ball

What this video is

Released in March 2016 as part of Soulja Boy's fifth digital album 'Stacks On Deck,' 'Ball' arrives during a transitional moment in Soulja Boy's career—well past his 2007 peak but actively positioning himself as an elder statesman of internet rap at a time when SoundCloud artists like Lil Yachty (who appears on the same album) were ascending. The video's deserted-gas-station aesthetic, stripped of major-label…

Why it matters

Represents the aesthetic codification of independent trap rap video production in the mid-2010s: fast-cut editing, single utilitarian locations, minimal budget, maximum crew visibility, and muted warm color grading—a grammar now ubiquitous in YouTube and streaming-era rap visuals. Documents Soulja…

The director

Will Hoopes is a music video director active primarily in the mid-2010s to late 2010s, known for work in the Chicago and Atlanta independent rap scenes. His IMDB-credited work includes videos for Adamn Killa (2016–2018), DJ Scream featuring 21 Savage, Juicy…