KSI: THE MODERN DAY RENAISSANCE MAN
Six billion views (and counting), bulging investment and property portfolios, the founder of four companies each in different industries, a number one album and multiple top 40 singles, and not to mention the eight figure net worth; the list of KSI’s achievements and accolades will leave you as breathless as this sentence itself has. This empire was built on the back of a young introvert creating content in his bedroom trying to build his confidence, and find a sense of belonging. Although the internet has not remedied the loneliness pandemic the WHO declared in 2023, there are corners of the digital universe that have provided sanctuary for many. Any devout online gamer who has spent time on the dusty, cracked pathways to Orgrimmar, or the perfectly manicured lawns of Rockford Hills; will tell you that although the locations might be fictional, these really are places that real connections can be forged. JJ was trying to do exactly that with his early Youtube uploads, using his alter ego KSI, in order to reach into the void and find like minded people.
His debut on YouTube was much more wholesome and less grandiose, it was simply a school project on telescopes. The FIFA 2008 highlight reels weren’t far behind, but these just consisted of gameplay footage showcasing his skills, the loud mouthed, brash commentary that would earn him a cult following was nowhere to be seen or heard. The first traces of his larger than life persona begin to appear on the now defunct Youtube channel JideJunior, where he makes his foray into the comedy rap world with videos like “Chemistry Homework Rap” and “Physics Rap.” The commentary slowly crept in across JJ’s latter FIFA and Call Of Duty uploads as he grew in confidence and started to carve out a more distinctive identity for KSI.
Back in the real world though, JJ and his brother Deji attended Berkhamsted, a private school in Hertfordshire that was financed by the dogged work ethic of his parents, who valued their children’s education above all else. JJ may have not gone the academic route, but the fear of disappointing his parents and the drive to succeed endured. Despite that, JJ muses that he had aspirations of becoming a bin man: “I wanted to be a bin man. I just thought it was cool, something about it was just cool, you wake up early and then you finish midday. Then you get the rest of the day to just chill and relax.” Which is almost certainly a lampoon, as the idea of ‘chilling and relaxing’ are surely alien concepts to someone with his mindset.
"I’m all about making sure I don’t stay in one box. My life is all about improving in what ever I set my mind to, making sure I’m always better than the year before."
As far back as 2011, KSI can be heard ruminating about the idea of wanting to do more than just the FIFA videos that had garnered so much attention, the step of making another Youtube channel for his other passions would become the first brick laid in the monumental career that he’d construct over the next 13 years. With inspirations from multi-hyphenates like Will Smith and Donald Glover, KSI was never going to just be a YouTuber: “I mean I've had several inspirations throughout my life, I wouldn't say i have a biggest. I've been interested in people like Donald Glover. Just his whole lifestyle, how he’s able to interchange from Youtube to music to movies etc, I think thats really cool. I love being able to spread my wings and try new things, and yeah have fun with it.”
These core values are what have made him a real champion of the everyman, consistently showing the people there really are no limitations on what you can achieve if you work hard and long enough at something. Many of KSI’s zealots have been with him since the beginning, since the days of Dead Space 2 play throughs and Black Ops 2 Zombies, witnessing the transformation first hand has only served to inspire his following even more. From first watching KSI without knowing what he looked or sounded like, to making his second bout with Logan Paul the most streamed event in YouTube’s history, the fans have followed KSI everywhere. It’s not something JJ takes lightly, “To do anything online in terms of being an online creator, and then venturing off into music, or into boxing it was impossible, there were gatekeepers in all these industries. So for me to be able to break through all that, would have been incredible to my younger self.”
“To do anything online in terms of being an online creator, and then venturing off into music, or into boxing it was impossible, there were gatekeepers in all these industries."
He’s broken through the same barriers and resistance in music as well, and the recent criticism online for his latest track “The Thick Of It” serves as a reminder that there are plenty of vocal KSI detractors that he has to contend with: “I have a lot of people who also hate on me, you know, wishing I fail and all of that. So the pressure of making sure I'm still operating at a high standard is definitely high, but pressure makes diamonds man, and for me, I just keep focused, and I keep doing my thing.”
The relatability is what ultimately keeps people engaged, and has been the key to all his success. The music might not be groundbreaking, but it's always fun and feels within our reach. If we work hard enough, then we might also get the chance to be in the studio with Lil Wayne or Rick Ross. His boxing career started off as a joke, but hard work turned it into a multi million pound enterprise, these occurrences make the impossible suddenly seem achievable for the rest of us.
Success looks a little different to KSI these days. “Right now, I'm just kind of just vibing, enjoying life man. I feel like I've done so well, and I’ve finally been able to appreciate all of it. Whereas before, I would just do something huge and then move on to the next thing.” Maybe this is because there might finally be nowhere else for him to dominate? But if history has taught us one thing, it's never to underestimate KSI.
