Olajide 'KSI' Olatunji has mentioned how 'hostile' YouTube is in a recent interview with GQ Magazine
The YouTuber turned rapper began his journey as a gaming creator which he described as a 'lot of fun', but cites that period as a difficult time.
"It was tough because I was the writer, director, producer, editor and actor on a constant basis. I didn't do anything besides eat, sleep and work. I never went out," Olatunji told GQ.
"I did it for eight years and there were highs and lows. It was a lot of fun and I loved playing games. Racism was a big low. I got a lot of comments, as well as verbal and physical abuse. YouTube is a hostile place, because drama sells. People want blood."
Game over
The YouTuber eventually hit a wall with content and decided to quit. In 2017, KSI put his social channels in 'blackout' mode and deleted a massive chunk of the gaming content on his channel.
"I didn't create content for four months. I travelled instead. I got a girlfriend and that helped. It made my life a lot easier. I worked out. I finally did everything that wasn't YouTube," Olatunji said to GQ.
"My last stop was LA, where I hung out with YouTuber and musician RiceGum. After that, I was ready to come back. I was excited by YouTube again and ready to start a music career."
Say that to my face
KSI recently made boxing one of his key business ventures. After a long feud with fellow YouTuber Joe Weller, the pair sought to settle their differences in a YouTube boxing match.
The pair both livestreamed the boxing match to their respective YouTube channels and a reported 1.6 million watched the events unfold live. The archived videos now have almost 25 million views.
KSI also plans to fight Logan Paul in the summer.
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