Dissimulation
Album by KSI
Released 22 May 2020
Hip Hop
Label – RBC / BMG
Rating – 4/10
‘Dissimulation’ is trap in the form of boasts and drawbacks – so, ‘trap’ basically.
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KSI is lassoing trap rap over from the southern states to the southern UK. On ‘Dissimulation’, the YouTube sensation is handing his audience a gateway drug to turn them onto more substantial southern hip hop; a modest effort from one of the internet’s highest earners.
He’s no sideman, though he is producing and performing waggish Mickey Mouse trap that copies and pastes productions motifs – and glamorous features – to fit in with today’s most relevant.
Though it isn’t as though ‘Dissimulation’ is just another to means to entertain KSI’s huge audience, or a lazy way to rake in more cash. He clearly likes music, particularly making music; the bulk of his previous work has come in the form of polarizing EPs, such as 2016’s ‘Keep Up’, far more grime-influenced, as KSI continues to display multiple approaches to rapping.
And he can rap, he can unleash personality into his music, but KSI’s general decision-making on ‘Dissimulation’ leaves a lot to be desired. It isn’t embarrassing, it’s just another trap album.
But KSI is genuine and competent, even at his most bare bones. The beats of ‘What You Been On’ and ‘How It Feel’ are the trapper’s delight, with mild dirt and chain-like percussion, as KSI raps about wealth and status. It’s a sentiment echoed by ‘Domain’ – “I’m from the world wide web, how I’m catching all these (FUCKING VERMIN”) – but with a few more Mortal Kombat bars this time around.
He sporadically transitions away from his newfound trap love; ‘Houdini’ is KSI’s fun-loving, itch-scratching take on dance hall, and the sprightlier ‘Killa Killa’ brings a little adventure to the world of pop rap.
KSI’s ability to step elsewhere occasionally becomes his downfall, particularly on ‘Bad Lil Vibe’, the ‘bad boy gone soft’ pop rap track that elicits groans. But elementary trap often sees him fall on his face too, especially with the ham-fisted lines about kangaroos and cheese that appear on ‘Wake Up Call’.
The glamorous features don’t necessarily save the day, but Lil Baby and Rick Ross at least sound happy to be there on ‘Down Like That’. Offset disses the phonies on ‘Cap’. He slots himself in well but the reason is obvious; it’s a mild-mannered Migos track with a little less colour, but the necessary amount of ‘skrrt skrrts’.
‘Poppin’ is an improvement where KSI’s pals are concerned; Lil Pump is topical, dropping a few pandemic bars, while KSI chimes in with his “I gotta spend a lot” money bars, that evoke a gritty turn-of-the-century UK garage tone.
So ‘Dissimulation’ clearly isn’t a bust, even if later tracks ‘Undefeated’ and ‘Millions’ offer nothing but padding, though the latter almost charmingly displays a KSI-goes-JJ realism and vulnerability.
But for every advantage ‘Dissimulation’ may boast – particularly how KSI gets inside the psyche of a genre that doesn’t know whether it wants to be taken seriously – there are several more drawbacks.
Without knowing him, you may be able to work out that KSI’s profile was obtained outside of music, and his music is the result of his profile, as ‘Dissimulation’ – though only occasionally – can embody the hollow frivolousness of overviewed YouTube.
Best tracks – ‘Poppin’ – ‘Houdini’ – ‘Killa Killa’.
Weakest tracks – ‘Bad Lil Vibe’ – ‘Wake Up Call’.
Rating – 4 out of 10
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