KSI is on the syllabus in an A-Level media class in the U.K.

By 06/08/2023
KSI is on the syllabus in an A-Level media class in the U.K.

KSI‘s rise on YouTube is a textbook example of influencer brand-building. Literally.

The 29-year-old star, who is known for his individual exploits and his membership in the creator supergroup Sidemen, is now a topic of scholastic study in his native U.K. A Reddit user shared a snapshot from an A-Level Media fact sheet, which references KSI as an “interesting ‘product’ to study in terms of genre.”

The entry on KSI refers to him by his real name, J.J. Olatunji. A-Level Media pupils are expected to study Olatunji’s early Let’s Play videos, his rise alongside other members of the Sidemen, his boxing career, his forays into music, and his other offline pursuits, including his beverage brand Prime Hydration.

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“KSI has been clever in anticipating internet trends of the past decade,” the entry reads. “Like other internet influencers, he represents a ‘brand’ more than a particular genre and takes pride in the diverse range of media products (in different genres) he produces.”

As a case study of Olatunji’s brand-building abilities, the fact sheet references the music video for his song ‘Not Over Yet.’ After watching the video, students are prompted to comment on the ways Olatunji injects authenticity into what would otherwise be an ordinary hip-hop track.

Not everyone is happy about Olatunji’s inclusion on an A-Level syllabus. Some commenters have suggested that they’d rather skip class than learn about the controversial star. Others have poked fun at the fact sheet’s inaccurate description of the Sidemen, who are called a “British rap band.”

Despite those criticisms, aspiring media professionals can learn a lot from KSI and the Sidemen — and they’re not the first influencers to appear in A-Level classes. In previous years, YouTube stars like Zoella have been referenced in media courses.

More broadly, the worlds of education and content creation are becoming increasingly intertwined. On the American side of the Atlantic, MrBeast has delivered a guest lecture at Harvard University, and he has also worked with East Carolina University to train editors, thumbnail artists, and other creator economy professionals.

Olatunji’s arrival in A-Level classrooms comes with a touch of irony. As he revealed in a BBC Radio interview, he failed his own A-Levels prior to his YouTube ascendance. That fact should offer some comfort to today’s media students. Even if they struggle to understand the rise of KSI, they’ll still have a chance to establish their own influencer careers.

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