KSI

Biographie

Olajide Olayinka Williams « JJ » Olatunji, alias KSI, naît le 19 juin 1993 à Watford dans le Hertfordshire en Angleterre. Il débute sa carrière par le biais des jeux vidéo, postant sur ses réseaux sociaux des vidéos sur la franchise FIFA, avant de se diversifier et de se lancer dans la comédie. Générant plusieurs millions de vues, ses vidéos lui valent de fédérer une large communauté, estimée en 2021 à plus de 35 millions d'abonnés. Après un détour par la boxe amateur, qui lui permet de surclasser un autre influenceur (Logan Paul) lors d’un combat exhibition en 2019, il investit sérieusement le secteur de la musique dès 2020 avec l’album Dissimulation, qui se classe n° 2 dans les charts au Royaume-Uni. Il confirme ainsi le potentiel qu’il avait laissé entrevoir lors de la parution de ses quatre premiers EP : Keep Up, n° 13 en 2016, Jump Around la même année, puis Space en 2017 suivi quelques semaines plus tard par Disstracktions (n° 31). Avec l’album All Over the Place, qui paraît en 2021 et enregistre la collaboration d’artistes tels que Future, 21 Savage, Yungblud, Polo G, Anne-Marie, Digital Farm Animals, Craig David, Jay1, Deno, Gracey, Bugzy Malone, Rico Love, Lil Durk, ou encore S-X, KSI connaît son premier album classé n° 1 au Royaume-Uni, grâce à des simples tels que « Really Love » (n° 3), « Don’t Play » (n° 2), « Patience » (n° 2) ou encore « Holiday » (n° 2).

KSI's career as an entertainer might have started a long way from the world of music, but it's taken him to the top of the UK R&B Albums Chart twice.

Born Olajide William 'JJ' Olatunji in London, KSI grew up in Watford alongside his younger brother and fellow YouTube star Deji. It was the world of video games that first lured KSI into the public eye; in 2008 he became a video game commentator and vlogger, going by the name KSIOlajideBT. His FIFA videos began attracting subscribers and it was these that led him into his rap career. It started with 'Heskey Time', a comedy rap made in collaboration with fellow YouTuber Randolph about footballer Emile Heskey. More followed, with KSI and Randolph launching a series of football rap battles in which they impersonated stars of the football world such as Mario Balotelli and Alex Ferguson. The football rap battles led KSI to appearances in music videos with Droideka and the release of two tracks with British rapper Sway.

By 2015 KSI's online music videos had paved the way for him to his debut as a solo artist with 'Lamborghini', which featured an appearance by P Money. In 2016 he went on to release his first EP, 'Keep Up', through Island Records. It bowed at number 13 in the UK Albums Chart and topped the R&B Chart. 'Jump Around' followed later in the year, with 'Space' and 'Disstracktions', another UK R&B Album Chart number one, in 2017.

In 2019 KSI collaborated with Randolph once again with 'New Age', a full-length album that charted at number 17 in the UK Albums Chart and number one on the R&B Albums Chart.

Artist biography compiled by BDS/West 10. All rights reserved