*By Michael Teich* Soulja Boy is not shy about expressing his infatuation with three things: wealth, fame, and Tesla. "I love Tesla ($TSLA), man. I think it's one of the most innovative things in the last century. It's a big step forward in a direction that I think the community and the environment should be going. It's 2019 I feel like we should be living in a utopia. You know, where are the flying cars and the futuristic technology?" said the rapper, who dressed in a Tesla tracksuit for his interview with Cheddar Wednesday. Soulja Boy reflected on his past encounter with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, saying he wasn't starstruck by the billionaire. "You seen him smoking weed on the radio show. He's just like any one of us." "At the end of the day," he added. "We're all the same. Every person has their time to shine." Soulja Boy, who also goes by Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, became a breakout hit when his debut single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" topped the Billboard Hot 100. His more recent hits have included "Turn My Swag On" and "Stacks on Deck." The 28-year-old said that like Musk, he is often subject to the misinterpretation of his fans ー who may take his on-camera persona at face value. "When some people meet Soulja Boy, and they get to see how I am they say, 'Wow, I didn't know that he was like that. I thought he was totally different.' ... People judge people. You can't judge a book by its cover." Along with electric and autonomous vehicles, Soulja Boy is bullish on esports and cannabis. He discussed his interest in building an esports team for games like "Fortnite" and "Overwatch," and talked about his outlook for business opportunities in legalized recreational marijuana. One emerging industry he isn't completely sold on is cryptocurrency, saying the glory days of Bitcoin are in the past. "It's a gamble. You're not going to get the same returns as you would if you had gotten in on it early because it became mainstream and everybody know about Bitcoin now." Soulja Boy, who is is appearing on WeTV’s Marriage Boot Camp, did share his interest in investing in traditional equities. "I like the Robinhood app. It's easy to use and I can just go in there and spend money and buy stocks and sell stocks." For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/soulja-boy-is-looking-for-hungry-up-and-comers-to-join-his-esports-franchise).
