KSI wants to prove that "YouTubers can do more" than they are made out to be capable of with his debut album.
The viral rapper-and-boxer co-founded the YouTube group known as the Sidemen – which has more than 53 million subscribers – and he’s just released his new single, ‘Poppin’, featuring US stars Lil Pump and Smokepurpp.
KSI – whose real name is Olajide ‘JJ’ William Olatunji – has admitted that he gets annoyed when people assume because he started his career on the video-sharing platform that he’s not capable of succeeding at other ventures.
The boxing champ – who defeated Logan Paul in a high-profie bout at the Staples Center last year – told the Daily Star newspaper’s Wired column: "I am always trying to prove myself and show that YouTubers can do more than what mainstream media paints us as being able to do.
"Because I do so many things it confuses a lot of people, they want things to be simple and put me in a box by saying, ‘okay he is a YouTuber’ or, ‘he is a boxer and that is it’.
"For me to be able to travel between all of them confuses them and annoys them and p***es them off that I am able to do that."
The multi-talented star – who has also dabbled in acting too – is about to combine his passion for music with his KSI alter ego for his upcoming record.
He teased: "It will show so many more aspects of myself.
"I love making slow songs more R&B but I haven’t had a chance to showcase that.
"KSI is not all I do, my fans are able to see the real me through other platforms and I’ll showcase that in the album too."
The rapper admitted he was a bit worried about putting out his latest tune – which follows recent top 20 tracks ‘Wake Up Call’ and ‘Down Like That’ – during the coronavirus pandemic, because Pump spits about the 2014 to 2016 Ebola epidemic.
He confessed: "Lil Pump’s lyrics oh my! When I got the verse I was like, ‘Oh my God’.
"It goes, ‘Look at my wrist corona, look at my neck Ebola’.
"I was like, ‘Ah God damn it Pump!’.
"But that is just him, that is who he is."
And whilst he doesn’t have any boxing matches coming up, KSI is still training and wouldn’t rule out a return to the ring.
He said: "I am still training, still making sure I am fit and I am ready and if there is a fight I am more than capable of doing it.
"When I put my mind to anything I know I will excel".
‘Poppin’ is out now on all major streaming services.