About KSI

Olajide William ‘JJ’ Olatunji (known by all as KSI) might only be 27, but his career as a musician, YouTuber, actor, author and professional boxer is already one defined by a determination to take risks which pay off. Long before YouTube offered a clear path to success, he dropped out of college to pursue his channel full-time; seven years later, after cementing himself as one of the platform’s most successful creators (30 million subscribers and a staggering 6 billion views and counting), he blacked out his online presence and went off-grid. 

No longer content with content, he returned with tunnel vision. “Everything changed in 2017,” he says. “I got sick of social media and became ready to talk about things in my life that were more personal, more important.”

Whether writing revision raps at school or producing original tracks for his videos, music had always played a part in KSI’s life. His time offline, though, offered him clarity. “At my first gig as a teenager,” he says, “I saw Jay-Z and Kanye at The O2 in London. I knew then one day I’d be up there too… and now my time had come.”

Despite having another EP to deliver on his deal with his label, KSI opted to release his third independently via BMG / RBC Records instead. “It was my way of saying I was done with being an animal in a zoo just being stared at; I was done with acting like a puppet on a string.” The result was a coming of age anthem, a transition from young internet star to fully-fledged recording artist writing lyrics with substance. “YouTube is like fast food, consuming it is easy and it tastes good,” he says. “But it’s not rich, full of depth. It wasn’t what I wanted to be eating. Music is different, it’s not about quick hits but crafting them – it has a legacy.”

Dissimulation – KSI’s first album – marked the next stage in his evolution, an ambitious record which quickly became the biggest studio debut of 2020 so far. Hitting number two in the UK album chart and with over a half a billion streams, in Dissimulation KSI creates space for both his public persona and the personal: big hit features with the likes of Rick Ross and Lil Baby (Down Like That) and AJ Tracey (Tides) sit alongside more intimate, honest tracks. Take Millions, a candid reflection on his relationships and online omnipresence: “I told myself I wanna finish, And I meant it, I hated every fuckin’ second, Hated every mention.” There’s a duality to the sound, too: fresh London grime beats are lifted by bold US-inspired production primed for the huge, hyped-up audiences which await him. The silver-certified Houdini pops with Afrobeat influences.

No stranger to defying expectations, Dissimulation received critical acclaim. Clash labelled it “an excellent body of work”; “he’s absolutely smashed it” proclaimed Metro. It’s no surprise that KSI has been seen on the cover of The Sunday Times Magazine and Music Week; The Observer Magazine and Notion. Other labels and artists want a piece of the KSI pie too: just look to the success of his features on S1mba’s Loose and Nathan Dawe’s Lighter.

And with his second album almost completed, a 2021 tour which sold out in seconds, the launch of his own label and an upcoming single with Craig David (Really Love), KSI is proving that music is very much his domain.

KSI brings with him the unrelenting work ethic and infectious energy which YouTube instilled in him. Despite his debut’s success, he’s certain Dissimulation just scratched the surface: the next record, he’s clear, will showcase his artistry’s further progression again. Given FAULT Magazine described KSI as “one of 2019’s biggest success stories – “an emergent hip-hop star” said The i – all eyes will be on his follow up. KSI’s task – writes The Observer – is “not just to make “YouTube rap” but the real thing”. Their verdict? “Mission accomplished.”

“I want to destroy this infuriating stigma that if a YouTuber does something it should be disregarded,” he says. “Being a YouTuber isn’t easy – it’s tough: long hours, pressure to stay relevant, constantly producing new material, recording and edits.” The industry’s old guard, he believes, who don’t understand the digital landscape, think having his own platform means KSI is cheating the system. He disagrees: “in reality I’m working twice as hard as everyone else because of it.”

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About CRAIG DAVID

20 years since the critically-acclaimed album, ‘Born To Do It’ changed his life, Craig has since catapulted back into the charts and into the nation’s hearts with a string of chart hits and a Number 1 album marking the beginning of his triumphant return – his latest two albums, ‘Following my Intuition’ and ‘The Time is Now’ have since gone on to amass over 1.5 billion streams alone. Craig has since leapt from strength to strength on our airwaves and has been unavoidable on our TV screens and on the live circuit ever since.

Craig has racked up an astounding 23 UK top 40 singles, nine UK top 40 albums, amassed over 5 billion streams worldwide and has achieved multi-platinum status in more than 20 countries around the world in his career. With two UK Number 1 albums under his belt, he has also received multiple BRIT Award and Grammy nominations, 4 x MOBO Awards, as well as becoming a 3x Ivor Novello Award winner.

Demand for Craig’s live performances is higher than ever following the incredible success ​of his world famous, critically acclaimed ‘TS5’ shows. Starting out as the most exclusive pre-party in Miami, hosted in his penthouse home, Tower ​Suite ​5, ​‘TS5’ has gone on to become the must-see live event with Craig playing sets at the biggest festivals and clubs around the world. After bringing ‘TS5’ to the UK, Craig sold out shows at London’s KOKO, Brixton Academy and even London’s O2 Arena in a matter of seconds. In 2016 he took over Glastonbury’s Sonic Stage, bringing over 25k people to the tent and achieving the record for the ​biggest crowd at the stage in Glastonbury history. From there he made his Glastonbury Pyramid stage debut just a year later. Now back in London full time, Craig and ‘TS5’ show no signs ​of slowing down. He was due ​to return this summer for a record 5th season residency at ​Ibiza Rocks Hotel​. Becoming one of the most successful daytime residencies in Ibiza ​history, Craig will hopefully be able to return in 2021.

Following another incredible 2019 which saw him curate his own stage at SW4 as well as performing a special concert on BBC One for New Year’s Eve, Craig will soon be travelling around the UK for his 2021 Anniversary ‘Hold That Thought’ UK Arena Tour.

As one of the UK’s most loved artists, Craig has remained at the helm of his own unique, authentically British sound. A sound that made waves across the globe, making him the voice of one of the most pivotal eras in UK music, and in turn, making him one of the most successful artists in UK chart history.

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About DIGITAL FARM ANIMALS

Digital Farm Animals is the multi-platinum producer, songwriter and DJ responsible for some of the biggest hits of the last few years. Beginning his career as an artist signed to Sony Records, he collaborated on songs with Nelly, Louis Tomlinson, Alan Walker and Bebe Rexha. He has played some of the biggest festivals in the world, including Tomorrowland and V Festival and has performed on TV shows like The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, the Teen Choice Awards and X Factor.

But it’s his work as a songwriter and producer that has skyrocketed him to the upper echelons of the music scene. He has worked and collaborated with some of the biggest artists in the world, including Marshmello, Jennifer Lopez, will.i.am, Amy Winehouse and more. He was behind Dua Lipa’s breakout hit, ‘Be The One’, and has gone on to write and produce international hits including Galantis’ ‘No Money’, Louis Tomlinson and Bebe Rexha’s ‘Back to You’, Rita Ora’s ‘Anywhere’, Little Mix’s ‘Only You’ and Aitch’s ‘Buss Down’.

With over a billion streams on his artist project and billions more on his productions, Digital Farm Animals is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after pop producer/songwriters in the world today.

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