YouTuber and rapper KSI says Andrew Tate’s Top G persona is “cringey” and fans shouldn’t worship influencers.
Tate, a self-styled misogynist, has gained an army of young fans by boasting about his wealth and lavish lifestyle.
The ex-kickboxer, who is currently under arrest in Romania, is known among followers as “Top G”.
But KSI, real name Olajide Olatunji, tells BBC Newsbeat he has no interest in “being put on a pedestal” like Tate.
“I don’t want people to worship me. I don’t want this Top G title,” says KSI, who has 24m followers on his main YouTube account.
KSI has found success as a YouTuber, recording artist, and teamed up with fellow top YouTuber Logan Paul to create the in-demand Prime Hydration drink.
The 29-year-old, who’s also starred in a series of boxing matches with other influencers, returns to the ring on Saturday night to face esports star FaZe Temperrr.
KSI’s also previously said he is keen to challenge Tate in the ring.
‘Be good to people’
But outside of it, he says he would rather use his own influential platform in a positive way, in contrast to Tate, who insults his own followers.
“Try and be fair to everyone, try and just be good to everyone. Spread positivity all the time,” he says.
“And yeah, you know, we’re all human. We’re all gonna make mistakes. No one is perfect.
“And I always say that to my audience: don’t put me on a pedestal. Like I am not the GOAT. I don’t want people to worship me.”
Earlier in his career, KSI was accused of making vulgar comments about women, and his actions towards women at a 2013 gaming convention led brands to criticise him and cut ties with him.
He apologised for his behaviour in a 2020 Guardian interview, adding: “You can hide from it, pretend it doesn’t exist. Or, you know, hit it head on, realise why it was a mistake.”
And KSI says his outlook these days is very different.
“Treat women well, treat men well, treat everyone well, and just have the right attitude.”
And it’s not the only difference between him and Tate.
Since his arrest, Tate has tweeted frequently about “The Matrix” – thought to be a reference to powerful figures in media, politics and business trying to silence him and control others.
“I just think it’s cringey,” says KSI.
“I don’t care about this whole matrix stuff or whatever,” KSI says.
“For me, I just want to live my life and help as many people as possible and be a good person.”
