KSI registered his main YouTube account in 2009 and built a following posting gaming-commentary videos of the FIFA video game series. As his fan base has grown, his YouTube content has diversified to include vlog and comedy style videos. As of March 2021, he has over 34 million subscribers and over 8 billion video views across his two YouTube channels.
KSI's 2020 debut studio album, Dissimulation, debuted at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart. He has achieved eleven top 40 singles on the UK Singles Chart, six of them ending up in the Top 10 and four of them ending up in the Top 5. KSI featured in the British comedy film Laid in America (2016), and was the subject of KSI: Can't Lose (2018), a documentary film following the build-up to his first amateur boxing fight against British YouTuber Joe Weller. He was involved in two further boxing events against American YouTuber Logan Paul, the second of which was a professional bout.
2015–2016: Early releases
Having written and produced comedy–rap songs for his YouTube channel in 2011, KSI released his debut single, "Lamborghini", featuring British grime MC P Money, on 23 March 2015, with Dcypha Productions. The song charted at number 30 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Keep Up", the title song for KSI's debut extended play of the same name, featuring Jme, was released on 13 November 2015, reaching number 45 on the UK Singles Chart.The full EP was released on 8 January 2016, through Island Records, debuting at number 13 on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK R&B Albums Chart.
On 29 April 2016, KSI released "Goes Off", featuring Mista Silva, as the first single from his second EP titled Jump Around. The EP's second single, "Friends with Benefits", featuring MNDM, was released on 29 July 2016, reaching number 69 on the UK Singles Chart.[56] The full EP was released on 28 October 2016 through Island Records. One of the EP's songs, "Touch Down", featuring rapper and singer Stefflon Don, appeared on the soundtrack of the 2017 film Baywatch.
2017–2019: Independent releases
KSI performing in 2019 on his New Age tour
On 23 June 2017, KSI independently released "Creature", which reached number 100 on the UK Singles Chart. "Creature" was the first single from KSI's third EP, Space, which was released independently on 30 June 2017. On 6 October that year, KSI released his fourth EP, Disstracktions, which includes diss tracks against fellow Sidemen members W2S and Behzinga. The EP reached number 31 on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK R&B Albums Chart. One week before its release, KSI announced that the EP would be his "final release" with Island Records and that he would be releasing music independently.
On 2 February 2018, KSI released "Uncontrollable", featuring Big Zuu. The song played during KSI's ring walk for his boxing fight against Joe Weller and charted at number 89 on the UK Singles Chart. KSI released "On Point" on 17 August 2018, which was played during his ring walk for his second boxing bout.
On 12 April 2019, KSI released a collaborative album with Randolph titled New Age. It debuted at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart and at number one on the UK R&B Albums Chart.
2019–2020: New record label signing and Dissimulation
On 4 November 2019, it was announced that KSI had signed with RBC Records and BMG to "take [his] music to the next level" and "further develop his music career in the US and internationally". In addition to managing KSI's future releases, it was confirmed that the label would be administering and reissuing KSI's independent catalogue recordings. That day, it was confirmed that KSI had already started recording his debut studio album. On 8 November 2019, "Down Like That", featuring Rick Ross, Lil Baby and S-X, was released as the album's lead single. It was performed live by the three featured artists as KSI's entrance music for his boxing rematch against Logan Paul. The song peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart and it has been certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of 200,000 units in the country. A further three singles preceded the album: "Wake Up Call", featuring Trippie Redd, which debuted at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart; "Poppin", featuring Lil Pump and Smokepurpp, which charted at number 43 in the UK; and "Houdini", featuring Swarmz and Tion Wayne, which debuted at number six on the UK Singles Chart and received a silver certification from the BPI.
KSI's debut studio album, titled Dissimulation, was released on 22 May 2020. The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart and further charted in 15 other countries. It was the UK's best-selling debut album by a British artist in 2020 and it has been certified silver by the BPI for sales of 60,000 units in the country. The album spawned two further UK top 40 singles, "Cap", featuring Offset, and "Killa Killa", featuring Aiyana-Lee. KSI was scheduled to perform at Parklife, Longitude and Reading and Leeds music festivals in 2020 to promote Dissimulation, but these were later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
KSI featured on "Lighter" by British DJ and record producer Nathan Dawe. The song peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart and became one of the UK's best-selling songs of 2020. It has been certified platinum by the BPI for sales of 600,000 units in the UK and it was nominated for Best British Single at the 2021 BRIT Awards. KSI also featured on "Loose" by Zimbabwean-British artist S1mba, which peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart.
2020–present: Second studio album and The Online Takeover
On 23 October 2020, KSI released the first single for his second studio album, "Really Love", featuring Craig David and Digital Farm Animals, which peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart and has been certified silver by the BPI.
On 15 January 2021, KSI featured on "Don't Play" by Anne-Marie and Digital Farm Animals. The song debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart, becoming KSI's highest-charting single in the UK to date, and was also certified silver by the BPI.
On 16 February 2021, KSI announced on Twitter the creation of his own record label named "The Online Takeover" in partnership with his music manager Mams Taylor. Shortly after, he announced the first signee of his label, which was American-British singer "Aiyana-Lee", who featured on the track "Killa Killa" on KSI's debut album "Dissimulation".
On 12 March 2021, KSI released the album's second single, "Patience", featuring YUNGBLUD and Polo G, which debuted at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.
Wake Up Call
ksi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh
I love Trippie Redd
Yeah
(Mally Mall)
Don't wake up when it's too late
They might think that you hate me
Better late than never
Yeah, this the wake up call
Ain't no walkin' out, you better wake up, dawg
Yeah, this the wake up call
Every other day, I'm gettin' cake like, yum
Yeah, this the wake up call
Ain't no walkin' out, you better wake up, dawg
Yeah, get your face bust, dawg
Your bitch with me now tryna get face fucked, dawg
Okay
Funny, innit? (Huh?), now they wantin' to get it (money)
Now they wantin' to visit (ay)
'Cause they watchin' the riches (milly)
See me gettin' the cheddar (cheese)
See me sprinkle the pepper (season)
Panoramic my view and leadin' and trendin', whatever (okay)
Feel it (yeah), Thurman how I go kill it (kill)
How you stakin', get filet (beef), ex 'em out to Xzibit
I'm winnin' in different avenues ('nues)
Trippy my revenue (ay)
Don't see me ever lose, I jump hurdles like kangaroos
Don't wake up when it's too late
They might think that you hate me
I'ma get it in while you wait
Better late than never
Yeah, this the wake up call
Ain't no walkin' out, you better wake up, dawg
Yeah, this the wake up call (yeah)
Every other day, I'm gettin' cake like, yum (yeah, yeah)
Yeah, this the wake up call
Ain't no walkin' out, you better wake up, dawg (yeah, yeah)
Yeah, get your face bust, dawg (uh)
Your bitch with me now tryna get face fucked, dawg (yeah, yeah)
Okay
Picture perfect, now that they know I'm worth it
Before they hate it, now they say I deserve it (livin')
'Bout the beef, showin' 'em how I bring it (hatin')
Out the beach, sippin' on somethin' different (swimmin')
Swimmin' in money, they said "I'll never earn" (never earn)
Kicked outta school, they said "I'll never learn" (never learn)
Now I learn to make it count (yeah)
Multiply, division, and makin' a high amount, bitch
Yeah, in a big body swervin' (swervin')
No Suburban, bitch, this is a Bentley
Pussy do not tempt me (skrrt, skrrt)
Yeah, 'cause the chopper get to bustin' (yeah, yeah)
Have a nigga lookin' like Ricky
Yeah, this the wake up call
Ain't no walkin' out, you better wake up, dawg
Yeah, this the wake up call
Every other day, I'm gettin' cake like, yum (yeah, yeah)
Yeah, this the wake up call
Ain't no walkin' out, you better wake up, dawg
Yeah, get your face bust, dawg (uh)
Your bitch with me now tryna get face fucked, dawg
Okay
The song "Wake Up Call" by KSI featuring Trippie Redd is a call to action to whoever is listening. The lyrics are centered around the idea of not waiting until it's too late before taking action. KSI advises listeners not to sleep through life, and instead, wake up and go after their dreams. The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the importance of waking up before it's too late, and making the most out of every opportunity that comes their way. In the verses, the rappers boast about their success and how they overcame obstacles to get to where they are now. They also make references to their financial gains, such as getting cake every other day and swimming in money.
The song also alludes to the idea that success can bring both admiration and jealousy. KSI mentions that people who once hated him are now wanting to be around him because of his success. In contrast, he also suggests that some people may think that you hate them when you start to become successful. This is because they may feel threatened by your success or feel like you've changed. However, KSI advises that it's better to be late to the game than never to show up at all.
Overall, the song is meant to inspire listeners to take action and go after their dreams. It's a reminder that life is short, and we should all make the most out of every opportunity that comes our way.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't wake up when it's too late
Don't wait until it's too late to start taking action
They might think that you hate me
Don't wait until it's too late, or others may misinterpret your actions as hostility
I'ma get it in while you wait
I'm going to start taking action now, while you're still waiting
Better late than never
It's better to start taking action late than to never start at all
Yeah, this the wake up call
This is the call to action
Ain't no walkin' out, you better wake up, dawg
There's no backing out, it's time to take action
Every other day, I'm gettin' cake like, yum
I'm making money consistently
Yeah, get your face bust, dawg
You're going to face some problems if you don't start taking action
Your bitch with me now tryna get face fucked, dawg
I have your partner with me, now trying to learn from me
Funny, innit? (Huh?), now they wantin' to get it (money)
It's ironic that now that I'm successful, everyone wants to follow in my footsteps and make money too
Now they wantin' to visit (ay)
People want to be associated with me now that they know I'm successful
'Cause they watchin' the riches (milly)
People are watching my wealth grow
See me gettin' the cheddar (cheese)
People see me making a lot of money
Panoramic my view and leadin' and trendin', whatever (okay)
I have a broad view of everything going on and I'm staying ahead of the curve
Feel it (yeah), Thurman how I go kill it (kill)
I'm feeling confident and ready to take on whatever challenges come my way
How you stakin', get filet (beef), ex 'em out to Xzibit
I'm making smart decisions, like investing in a good cut of beef, and cutting out people who don't have my best interests at heart
I'm winnin' in different avenues ('nues)
I'm successful in many different areas
Trippy my revenue (ay)
I'm making a lot of money
Don't see me ever lose, I jump hurdles like kangaroos
I never give up and always find a way to succeed, no matter the obstacles
Picture perfect, now that they know I'm worth it
Now that people see my success, they realize I was worth investing in
Before they hate it, now they say I deserve it (livin')
People who once criticized me now see that I deserved my success all along
'Bout the beef, showin' 'em how I bring it (hatin')
I'm showing my critics how I'm succeeding despite their doubts
Out the beach, sippin' on somethin' different (swimmin')
I'm enjoying my success and relaxing on the beach, drinking fancy drinks
Swimmin' in money, they said "I'll never earn" (never earn)
People who once doubted me now see that I'm swimming in wealth, despite their predictions
Kicked outta school, they said "I'll never learn" (never learn)
People who thought I would never succeed, even after being kicked out of school, are proven wrong
Now I learn to make it count (yeah)
I'm making the most out of every opportunity
Multiply, division, and makin' a high amount, bitch
I'm using mathematical concepts like multiplication and division to make a lot of money
Yeah, in a big body swervin' (swervin')
I'm driving a fancy car and enjoying my success
No Suburban, bitch, this is a Bentley
I'm not driving a normal car, but instead a luxury Bentley
Pussy do not tempt me (skrrt, skrrt)
I'm not letting anything distract me from my goals
Yeah, 'cause the chopper get to bustin' (yeah, yeah)
I'm willing to defend myself and my success if necessary
Have a nigga lookin' like Ricky
My enemies will be defeated just like Ricky in the movie Boyz n the Hood
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Byron Trice, Jamal F. Rashid, Mams Taylor, Michael Lamar Ii White, Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji, Sam Andrew Gumbley, William Robert Rappaport
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Hi-ld2by
Was I the only one that thought at first this was a behind the scenes of the music video
@MRNITAS
500subscriberswithnovideos? they kinda did this with zeze aswell
@blakebajak
Literally says official music video
@succtoesnfucchoes7107
Nope
@hydro8808
Me too my man
@herculesmulligan1408
I mean I Guess
@pain-ji4jg
This is the same guy that used to open fifa packs for us.
@jaisonrajan89
I know riteeee 👌
@LuChiNiDaDon
🤣
@aAaa-ze6qh
This is the guy that used to rage on fifa for our entertainment