Ksi

• He is the co founder of British rap band the sidemen
• He is the CEO of misfits boxing and co owner of prime hydration
• As of august 2022 ,he has over 24 million subscribers to his YouTube channel
• Almost 6 billion videos views across his channels
• Ksi is also a successful recording artist. His second album all over the place debuted one on the UK Album chart
• YouTubers operate using authenticity and reliability ,use of language associated with young urban men ,slang mixed with street dialect and gaming terms ,reinforced authenticity
• Some of his humour borders on racist or homophobic this adds to the unpolished feel to the video
• He reacts and rewatches his old material and reacts to them often with embarrassment adds a sense of authenticity and reliability
• Like many YouTubers - especially e sports players their own product exists adjacent to the main text
• Ksi has moved beyond this ,he harnessed the popularity of his "let's play" videos and used it as a launchpad to publicise his scripted comedy and music products with the sidemen
• The training montages "calls outs"( challenges to other potential boxing rivals ) and live events use all the conventions of the big budget professional boxing match
• The video to not over yet draws on cinematic representations of the sport particularly the rocky franchise
• His authenticity is just as constructed as any other media products .the static computer camera ,domestic mis en scene and edgy banter are designed by Ksi to create the impression of reality and construct his persona as the cocky cool older brother
• Bauradillard calls this "simulacrum" an imitation that appears more real than the thing it is imitating
• Often media texts pretend to reflect "reality" by mimicking the conventions of news reportage or documentary
• Many of his fans describe him as inspirational
• His acronym "knowledge ,strength and integrity " and the way he seeks to manifest these values creates a very positive portrayal of young people and their relationship with technology
• He had never boxed before , and the first fight with Joe Weller seemed more like a scuffle that escalated an example of stereotypical machismo .however commitment with which KSI trained and subsequent victories showed his ambition rather then arrogance
• Dedication that leads to success from underdog to Victor is a traditional narrative in the sports movie genre especially boxing drama's like rocky
• Like many YouTubers ,he knows the value of shocking ,politically incorrect material for gaining hits on site therefore popularity and success
• The interactive nature of social media however means that shifts in cultural values and phenomena like me too or black lives matter movements are reflected in the comments of KSI's audience
• David gauntlets might say jj relatble persona and modelling of how anyone can potentially be a success could be used by the audience to help construct their own identities
• The way that KSI has changed roles -from comment or to musician and sportsmen - reflects the fluid nature of identity. His "new Vs old videos where he reacts to the old him reinforced this idea
• In interviews he's been blunt about his materialistic values
• His content has always been designed to get hits on YouTube and he has produced whatever is on trend in order to capatilise on and through sponsorship monetise this
• Most recent content has been based around his boxing and music careers ,he uses these as a stradegy to generate more sponsorship and sell his own merchandise
• His website is completely devoted to these income streams
• He formed misfits boxing company to organise further rights
• He is also the director of nemesis a video production company that runs the pay per view streaming for the boxing matches since 2018
• His ownership of a video production company and streaming platforms also illustrates his independence from the usual "gatekeeping" and limitations of creativity
• his "laddish" banter ,edgy mischief and beefs are stereotypical masculine behaviours though light hearted and jokey than explicitly violent
• DIY success seemingly doing whatever he enjoys and "proving people wrong" appeals to young ,ambitious and creative people
• His ability to go from YouTubers to professional boxer is detialed narrative of inspirational dedication
• The we media revolution of the early 21st century and the convergence of affordable digital technology has completely transformed the entertainment and culture industries
• Traditionally media industries have been dominated by large companies
• Producers and commissioning editors act asv"gatekeepers" deciding what they think audiences will like and what will be profitable usually from ads and sponsorship
• Producers challenged this hierarchy by making low or no budget content ,free from creative limitations ,using video streaming sites to distribute it
• Influencers like KSI have also adopted the sponsorship model as a way to generate revenue but have bypass the big media institutions
• KSI has been controversial . His banter in early videos could be seen as offensive and his use of language has also provoked crisitm
• Ksi has become sensitive to the social climate ,values of the fan ,is keen to show how some of his values have changed . The old Vs new KSI videos emphasise this allow both sets of fans to enjoy his content