Dissimulation is the pugnacious solo debut LP of UK rapper KSI. Straight outta Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, Olajide Olatunji first found renown as a YouTuber, leveraging his gaming and comedy videos into 21st-century fame. Best known for defeating YouTuber Logan Paul in a 2019 boxing match, KSI has run a legit musical side-gig since 2015, when he released Lamborghini, a nagging tune aimed squarely at his young male fanbase (21.3 million YouTube subscribers, social media “reach” of 50 million).
KSI’s previous releases took care to establish homegrown, grime-adjacent legitimacy. By contrast, Dissimulation is rammed full of hook-ups with big US hip-hop names. Only Houdini, a rolling Afroswing tune, and Killa Killa, a Caribbean-leaning hit-in-waiting – maintain London vibes. Instead, US trap-pop genre tropes abound – drugs, money, objectification, ad libs. Significantly, the still British-sounding KSI just about holds his own against Lil Pump (on Poppin) and Offset (on Cap). The odd track seeks to lift the veil, too, on the nerdy home counties boy behind the memes. The aim here is not just to make “YouTube rap” but the real thing. Mission accomplished.
