Soulja Boy teases 2028 US presidential run on Instagram

Soulja Boy has teased a run for United States president in 2028.

The rapper, whose birth name is DeAndre Cortez Way, made the claim in an Instagram post on Saturday, Oct. 10. The post was captioned “SOULJA BOY 2028,” according to Billboard.

He described the idea as “a new chapter” and “a bigger vision.” He said he has long believed in thinking bigger, from music to business to technology, and is now exploring bringing that vision to public service.

The post named four focus areas. They were economic opportunity, criminal justice reform, education, and the future of technology and AI. No policies yet. The post did not include specifics beyond those four headings.

He also framed the vision as “a commitment to creating opportunities for the next generation,” according to Instagram.

Soulja Boy first broke through as a rap hitmaker in the late 2000s. “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” spent seven nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the US singles chart, in 2007. His debut album, souljaboytellem.com, peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, the US albums chart.

His later single “Kiss Me Thru the Phone” featuring Sammie reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Those chart totals were counted by Billboard, the organisation that compiles both charts.

The post is not his first link to presidential politics. He performed at the Crypto Ball during Donald Trump’s inauguration festivities in January 2025. That event was part of the programme around Trump’s return to the White House.

Comedy television got there first. In January 2019, Saturday Night Live aired a sketch imagining Soulja Boy running for president, with cast member Chris Redd playing the rapper.

What makes this stand out is the shift in format. The sketch played a campaign for laughs. The Instagram post uses the language of a platform launch, with issue areas and a slogan-style caption, but stops short of detail on how any bid would be organised.