KSI is – by any measure – a unprecedented bloke. Still solely 31, he first made his title taking part in video video games on YouTube, the place he at the moment has 24 million subscribers. He turned a founder member of the wildly profitable Sidemen YouTuber collective. Billions of views, and outrageous stacks of moolah later, KSI additionally turned a champion boxer. And boxing promoter. And TV persona. And bestselling creator. And quick meals chain proprietor. You’ve seen these bottles of Prime in every single place, proper? They’re him too.
He’s additionally a musician, because it occurs, with a chart-topping album and a string of top-five bangers beneath his large golden belt, together with legit good collabs with the likes of Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and Yungblood.
And fortunate outdated me, I had like an hour to talk to him about all that forward of his new single ‘Thick Of It’ (out now, in truth).
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Hey man! What’s up in the wacky world of KSI immediately?
Just obtained again from coaching. My chef made me tapas, so I used to be consuming away and forgot the time. Had to yeet myself upstairs. Got a little bit of a meals coma.
Loving ‘Thick Of It’, nice tune. My ten-year-old is a big fan of yours, it’s a giant flex for him to have it earlier than his mates. Is {that a} Chilli Peppers pattern?
The producers slipped that in, it’s from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers tune ‘Snow’. It’s sick they allowed us to do it. We labored on the lyrics and made it come collectively. Smashed it. I at all times needed to do a tune the place I speak about my life, what’s happening, the place I’m at and the place I need to go. I’ve performed lots in the final ten years, so it’s good to have the ability to incorporate that right into a tune. Bring the listeners on top of things.
I like the way you smuggle in a sly point out of Prime too, couldn’t inform if that was mere wordplay or genius advertising and marketing.
Ha, little bit of each I believe.
The music world could be a snobby place, did you ever really feel you weren’t taken significantly, as a YouTuber?
I’ve at all times confronted resistance. Since 2016, 2017 once I was making an attempt to interrupt into music plenty of individuals stated I’d fail. They stated I’d by no means make it – unsuitable background. No probability, they stated. Now I’ve obtained accolades, the primary album. Proof is in the pudding. Pursue your dream, finally it’ll come alongside.
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What are some good issues individuals have stated about your music?
I believe lots of musicians I’ve labored with are fairly stunned as a result of they only assume there’s lots of people that do stuff for me. They don’t truly perceive that I’m fairly a hands-on man. With lyrics, with the route of the tune. When I made that tune ‘Don’t Play’ with Anne-Marie she beloved the entire course of. She thought it was unbelievable.
Any different massive collabs on the horizon?
I’m pleased to work with any artist. I like seeing how different artists manoeuvre, so I can study from them. I’d like to do one thing with Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello, or Dave. I’m free flowing. I can at all times adapt.
What’s an even bigger rush, boxing or music?
One of the most important highs is performing to a load of individuals. The power, a crowd leaping round. That aura, that feeling is insane. Euphoric. Boxing, you prepare for weeks, and weeks, for one second. Then you combat, and also you win. When you get what that you must get from the combat, that’s euphoric too. It’s onerous to say!
Boxing or music – which has the larger dickheads?
Ha! Can I say each? In each single business I’ve labored in, there’s dickheads. Either anyone who makes issues troublesome establishing a combat, or some critic who shits on my music. Or my music getting leaked. There’s dickheads in every single place I’m afraid.
You’re a loopy busy man, with a number of companies and artistic hustles on the go. What’s your productiveness hack?
An enormous a part of it's my well being. Training and exercising. I work out daily, simply to get the endorphins going. Gives me power for enterprise, music, then chilling with the missus. It’s good to be busy. Keeps me excited.
It have to be nice being you, with all that cash and success and legions of followers. But it should even be a nightmare, when social media activates you.
There are occasions once I ask myself why I’m on Twitter, or Reddit. It’s really easy simply to scroll, and scroll. Get caught in this loop, asking what I’m doing with my life. What have I performed? You get depressed, you don’t need to do something, Then you cease posting. A vicious cycle. The secret is rarely, ever take issues to coronary heart.
Haters gonna hate, eh.
I’m not a man who shies away from criticism. I’ve made so many errors, and I’ve tousled so many occasions. But don’t take it significantly, as a result of with Twitter… there’s lots of offended depressing individuals, who hate the world, hate their scenario and take it out on individuals like YouTubers, or celebrities.
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Back in the day, I suppose, well-known individuals by no means even heard from their haters. But whenever anyone talks shit about you, you get a notification, proper?
I hear every little thing, I see every little thing. That’s the way it goes. It’s the secret. I've so many individuals praying for my downfall.
Your new single ‘Thick of It’ is about precisely that, certainly?
That’s one of many causes I made the tune, yeah. Just me pushing out what’s on my thoughts, what I’ve been going by. Another new tune, ‘Low’, I wrote whereas I used to be in fairly a darkish place. But making the tune relieves the burden, makes me really feel higher.
Good luck with the tunes, hope to catch you reside in some unspecified time in the future. I noticed some footage of you, from simply earlier than you performed Reading Festival the opposite yr. You seemed correct nervous.
It was the primary time I’d performed my factor in entrance of so many individuals. I imply, hundreds of thousands of individuals watch me on YouTube on a regular basis. But that many individuals – I believe it was perhaps sixty thousand? – standing proper there watching me carry out. The thoughts can't comprehend that many individuals. It’s a thoughts fuck.
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KSI’s new singles ‘Thick Of It’ ft. Trippie Redd & ‘Low’ are out now.
Words: Andy Hill
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