A Black YouTuber with millions of subscribers dropped a racial slur while playing a game with other creators, sparking sharp backlash online and lingering skepticism.
KSI, one of the platform's top creators, found himself in hot water when a clip started circulating of him saying the offensive term during a Countdown game with his group known as The Sidemen.
“We need points, alright? I don’t mean this maliciously, but the word’s p*ki," he said, causing just about everyone in the room to start laughing with disbelief.
This moment kicked off a firestorm on social media with many people and creators speaking up against the 29-year-old rapper's use of the slur. Viewers and onlookers who don't live in the United Kingdom believed the word was a shorthand for Pakistani people, but in reality, it was a common slur used to refer to anybody with South Asian ancestry.
Many South Asian users and UK creators pointed out that anybody who lives in the country knows how bad that slur is. Some have even said it’s as severe as the N-word.
"Don’t think there’s any excuse to be saying that at all," commentary YouTuber Kavos tweeted alongside the April 2 clip. "Where I grew up, saying this would get you f**ked up. KSI being someone who lives in London should know better."
KSI apologized for his use of the slur soon after the clip surfaced:
"I wanna apologise for saying a racial slur in a recent Sidemen video. There’s no excuse, no matter the circumstances, I shouldn’t have said it and I’m sorry," he tweeted. "I’ve always said to my audience that they shouldn’t worship me or put me on a pedestal because I’m human. Im not perfect, I’m gonna mess up in life, and lately I’ve been messing up a lot. So I’ve decided I’m gonna just take a break from social media for a while."
The Prime co-founder also addressed the situation during a preview boxing event on Wednesday, April 4, which some people have deemed over-the-top following his Twitter apology. Then another video surfaced of KSI being spotted at the Al-Hikam Institute in Bradford, where he reportedly spoke with Imam Muhammed Asim Hussain to educate himself.
Hafiz Asad Hussein, another mosque leader who spoke with KSI, who told BBC News he was "very upset" when he watched the now-deleted clip. He claims KSI's "head dropped when I told him... because a lot of kids look up to him" and that the rapper has "taken a step to rectify himself and learn."
Some critics have called this visit "performative," "unnecessary," and trying to do "damage control." Supporters say he's facing his mistakes and trying to make amends.
YouTuber SomeOrdinaryGamers, or Mutahar Anas, said he found KSI's visit "insane" considering Islamic people make up a portion of the larger South Asian diaspora.
“I don’t even understand where the Islam arc came from," Anas said in his own video. "You said a South Asian slur. Is KSI going to go around and go to temples… and everything imaginable just to make sure he covers the broad spectrum of South Asian religions? … It’s super insane.”
The online outrage seems to have not affected KSI's future plans, including an upcoming boxing match against businessman Joe Fournier on Saturday, May 13.
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