Why did the Sidemen split up in 2017? Break up and controversy explored

Currently, The Sidemen stands as the largest YouTube group in the UK and among the foremost on the entire platform. With a subscriber base exceeding 21 million, their presence remains robust even after a decade of activity, as they continue to deliver consistent content every week.

For those who may not be familiar, the group consists of seven members - JJ "KSI," Harry "W2S," Simon "Miniminter," Vik "Vikkstar123," Ethan "Behzinga," Tobi "TBJZL," and Josh "Zerkaa."

Despite their enduring success, The Sidemen was on the brink of disbandment in 2017. What initially began as a lighthearted jest escalated into a heated situation beyond their expectations. This story will delve into the events of the infamous Sidemen diss track season.

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What is the Sidemen diss track season? Controversy Explained

The pivotal drama unfolded when KSI dropped a bombshell update on his main channel on August 6, 2018. Titled I'm Leaving The Sidemen, his video confession revealed his departure from the group, blaming fellow member Behzinga. Additionally, he disclosed plans to move in with fellow YouTuber Bryan "RiceGum" in California. He said:

"As you can tell by the title of the video, I'm no longer the Sidemen. I will be going solo. Why am I leaving the Sidemen? Mainly because of Ethan (Behzinga). He was the main reason I am leaving."

On August 7, 2017, Behzinga released a diss track titled "Drama," aimed at KSI, igniting a chain reaction of diss tracks from all group members. Notably, even KSI's brother, Deji, who isn't part of the group, joined by dissing the other members.

W2S's diss track against KSI and RiceGum, titled KSI Sucks, uploaded on August 9, 2017, became the most viewed among the diss tracks. To date, it has amassed over 73 million views on YouTube.

On August 14, 2017, KSI retaliated against W2S with another diss track, Little Boy, from his temporary residence in California during his stay at the FaZe House. This track accumulated over 67 million views on YouTube. These weren't the only diss tracks, of course. Vikkstar123's The End and Miniminter's KSI's Little Brother also took shots at KSI and his brother.

On August 19, 207, popular YouTuber and content creator Caspar Lee took a humorous approach by releasing his parody diss track, which he dubbed a "compliment track," aimed at KSI, the Sidemen, Deji, and Jake Paul. The track titled STOP THE DISS TRACKS!! provided a light-hearted take on the trend of diss tracks circulating among YouTube creators.

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Was the drama serious?

As previously indicated, the drama was pre-planned by the members and was a strategic move to generate clicks and engagement. Various members confirmed this at different points throughout their content creation journey. For example, KSI openly admitted that the entire controversy was orchestrated for clicks and engagement:

"It was meant to be fake and it for f**king real, bro. Harry (W2S) ruined it. Harry f**king ruined the whole thing. (implying he escalated the feud more than it should have)."

The Sidemen ultimately never split up. Although the banter became more heated than anticipated, there were never any serious considerations of the group breaking up or KSI leaving permanently. After a few days of back-and-forth, KSI did return to the UK and rejoined the group.

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Members of the group have commented that the entire period was indeed stressful as it led to fewer collaborative videos being filmed, especially KSI, who focused more on his music. However, the group eventually persevered through the challenges, and despite controversies, they remained together.

The group has achieved significant success, one of its crowning achievements being its longstanding charity matches. This event, which will return for its sixth edition in 2024, has been a hallmark of their charitable efforts and community engagement.