KSI

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 on June 19, 1993, in London, KSI grew up in Watford alongside his younger brother and fellow social media 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 vlogger 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 make 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 on the UK Albums Chart and topped the R&B Chart. The EP Jump Around followed later in the year, with Space and Disstracktions, another UK R&B Album Chart Number 1, 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 1 on the R&B Albums Chart. That year, he signed with RBC Records and BMG and headed into the studio to begin working on his studio debut, Dissimulation, which saw the light in May 2020. Featuring guest spots by Lil Pump, Rick Ross, and Trippie Redd, among others, Dissimulation went to Number 2 in the UK and was certified silver in the UK. Preceded by the Top 5 singles “Really Love,” “Don’t Play,” and “Patience,” his sophomore effort All Over the Place came out in 2021 and gave KSI his first Number 1 record in the UK.

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