KSI

Olajide Olatunji
Born	Olajide Olatunji (1993-06-19) 19 June 1993
Other names	KSI, JJ
Occupation(s)	YouTube celebrity, video game commentator, musician
Years active	2009-present
Known for	KSIOlajidebt video game commentaries
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Family	Deji Olatunji (Brother) Jide Olatunji (Father)
Awards	YouTube '1 Million' Gold Play Button Award
Website	http://www.ksiolajidebt.com/

Olajide Olatunji is an African-British YouTuber, video game commentator, and rapper, better known by his YouTube username Ksiolajidebt (stylised as KSIOlajideBT). He is also referred to as KSI or JJ. Ksiolajidebt is best known for his YouTube channel, which has, as of March 2014, over 5.3 million subscribers. He is of Nigerian descent and can sometimes be seen wearing traditional Nigerian dress in his videos. His stage name comes from a Halo clan he was in (KSI), and his real name Olajide, and BT British Telecom, according to his website.

YouTube career

KSIOlajidebt
Presentation
Hosted by	KSIOlajidebt
Genre	Video game commentary
Language	English
Publication
Original release	2009 (2009)

Ksiolajidebt opened his YouTube account on 24th July 2009 with his first video being about a FIFA video game, then he began commentating. His main channel is primarily focused on FIFA, although he commentates in other games such as Grand Theft Auto V and other PC based mods. Olajide's family often appear in his videos, especially his younger brother Deji and his father, who have become popular figures in their own right with Olajide's viewers. His second channel contains videos of him playing more casual, arcade and horror games in a manner similar to that of PewDiePie. Also plays with his brother sometimes, Deji.

In August 2013, Ksiolajidebt was reacted to on the Fine Brothers' series Teens React.

In October 2013, Ksiolajidebt signed with Maker Studios' sub-network, Polaris. After defeating Virgin Gaming co-founder Zach Zeldin in a match of FIFA, KSI visited Las Vegas. KSI discussed YouTube's launching of a paid-channel subscription project.

He is an avid supporter of Arsenal F.C. He himself admits they aren't 'the best' and says he used to be a Manchester Utd fan.

Controversy

Ksiolajidebt has been involved in several controversies during his career both online and offline, due to his irreverent and sometimes politically incorrect humour and doubts centred over his public actions.

Ksiolajidebt was the center of a controversy following his actions at Eurogamer 2012, raised after he appeared at the Xbox One launch party in London. Due to this, Microsoft cut ties with the video game commentator, and Olatunji was banned for life from the Eurogamer Expo. A message from Olatunji's manager states "Sexism is not something he condones or wants to be associated with. He wishes to apologise for any offence the video of 15 months ago may have caused in the short time it was on his YouTube channel, references to it since and subsequently used by other people. In recent months, he has also been actively avoiding certain content seen in the distant past and wants to be judged on the great content and value he gives to brands and partners, without controversy." The controversy spilled over to involve VideoGamer.com.

In 2013, Olatunji was denied from playing a FIFA match within the campus of Manchester University due to objections raised about the content of his YouTube channel; he had been booked for an appearance by the university's FIFA society. The event was re-organized to take place in a venue off campus.

Olatunji is one of several YouTubers who have been affected by controversy regarding the YouTube copyright system. A YouTuber who put up a video criticizing his behaviour at Eurogamer 2012 was taken down due to it containing copyrighted material from Olatunji's channel (the video has since been re-uploaded in an edited version which features none of the copyrighted footage). This led to the YouTuber and the website Kotaku accusing Olatunji of censorship by misusing the copyright system to remove videos which were detrimental to his image. In an interview with BBC Radio One, Olatunji expressed negative opinions regarding the copyright system.

Music career

Olatunji has recently branched out into a career in music, mainly as a rapper. He started out by collaborating with fellow YouTuber Randolph, doing a viral rap song about Emile Heskey the beast which was released on iTunes just before Christmas (but too late to chart) in 2011, and has a video of Heskey missing various chances on FIFA, before doing this on a segment of his channel called "Football Rap Battles", a video series which follows a similar vein to Epic Rap Battles of History. There, he and Randolph play the characters of famous figures from the world of football. One of them involves KSI as himself against Robin Van Persie after hitting out at Van Persie's acrimonious transfer from Arsenal F.C. to rival side Manchester United F.C.

Chart success

Olatunji and Randolph released a novelty single on 20 December 2012 as BlacknWhite, called "Sweaty Goals", which was intended as a Christmas number one. It eventually reached #20 on the iTunes chart.

He directed and appeared in the music video for the Droideka track "Get Hyper", which charted on the UK Dance Chart, UK Indie Chart, and UK Singles Chart.

Sway's track "No Sleep", which features a guest appearance from Olatunji, also charted in the UK. The song was performed at the Xbox One launch party and on the CBBC show Friday Download.

Discography

With BlacknWhite;

• "Sweaty Goals" (single) (2012)

Guest appearances;

• Wake Up (Sway) - "No Sleep" (2013)