Down Like That

S-X wrote and recorded the chorus and produced "Down Like That" in his home recording studio in Wolverhampton, England.[1] The chorus developed from S-X singing a melody and making up the lyrics along the way which he recorded using the voice memos app on his smartphone.[2] S-X played the track to KSI, who liked it. KSI recalled, "I was like, 'Bro, this is nuts.' I liked how [the chorus] had an emo-ish vibe... I [knew that it would] go nuts at [music] festivals... This is the type of [song] that [crowds] mosh to and go crazy over. So I was like, 'I need to be on this [song].'"[3] KSI wrote and recorded several verses for "Down Like That" with the intention of it being his ring walk song for KSI vs. Logan Paul II[4] ‒ an upcoming professional boxing rematch between KSI and American YouTuber Logan Paul, to be held on 9 November 2019, following the pair's previous amateur boxing match which resulted in a majority draw.[5][6]

KSI and his music manager Mams Taylor spoke about making "Down Like That" "way bigger than [they] initially thought" by having some other rappers feature on the song.[4] KSI started to think of British rappers, before Taylor suggested featuring American rappers because KSI vs. Logan Paul II would be taking place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, United States.[7][8] KSI recalled, "We were thinking of [American rappers] to get. We thought, 'It would be insane if we could try and manage to get Rick Ross. Rick Ross would work.' And he said yes to it."[3] He continued, "On the final verse, we wanted to switch it up. We wanted to have something different. We didn't want a similar vibe to me and Rick Ross. But still someone who's up there with the top rappers. We were like, 'Let's go for Lil Baby.' And he said yes."[3] KSI recalled that him and S-X "were going nuts" when they received Rick Ross' and Lil Baby's verses.[9]

KSI has said he was shocked that Rick Ross and Lil Baby wanted to be involved with the song.[9] Speaking on Lil Baby's involvement, KSI said, "I didn't expect Lil Baby to want to hop on [the song]. The beat is very different to what he normally hops on. But he came in, did his thing, and just killed it."[9] Lil Baby reaffirmed this, saying, "[The song's] a different vibe from what I usually rap on. It was outside the box for me."[10] Regarding the involvement of Rick Ross, KSI said, "It's insane. To manage to get him to come through. It's ridiculous... It's a dream come true."[10] Speaking on being part of the collaboration, Rick Ross said, "It's really exciting... [KSI's] a young hustler. This younger generation really tuned into him. So I'm happy to be a part of it."[10] KSI told Apple Music, "It's definitely an honour to have [Rick Ross and Lil Baby] on [the song]. And it's gassed me up. It's shown me that I'm able to rap with these guys. I can make sick songs and I can have sick features."[11]

"Down Like That" is a hip hop track, which is tinged ever-so-slightly with dubstep elements.[12][13][14] Constructed in verse–chorus form, the song runs for 2 minutes and 55 seconds (2:55). The instrumental uses a pre-generated loop, to which S-X added keyboard notes, a bassline, hi-hats, snare drum kicks and 808s.[1]

S-X performs the chorus, in which he sings about a failed relationship with a partner.[15][16] He delivers the first half of the chorus in a modal vocal register, before adopting a falsetto vocal register for the second half, which is preceded by a beat drop.[16] KSI performs the first verse, in which he alludes to his upcoming boxing rematch against Paul, with lyrics including, "I want that knockdown" and "emitting pain 'til your nothing".[15][17][18] The song has been called a "fight night anthem" due to its association with the boxing match.[19] KSI explained his lyrics in an episode of the Genius web series "Verified", released on 12 December 2019.[17] Rick Ross performs the second verse, which is immediately followed by Lil Baby performing the third.[14] Speaking to Apple Music about "Down Like That", KSI affirmed, "This is a huge song. It's definitely one of the main songs for my legacy."[11]

On 7 October 2019, KSI told Footasylum, "I'm [going to] be releasing a new single called 'Down Like That' with some big big features [that] no one is even going to suspect. I'm going to beat Logan and two days [later] I'm going to be filming [the] music video."[20] "Down Like That" was released for digital download and streaming by RBC Records and BMG on 8 November 2019 as the lead single from KSI's upcoming debut studio album, Dissimulation (2020).[21] The song stood as KSI's first release through the record label after signing with them in the October of that year.[22] The single's cover art depicts KSI as a cartoon comic book character, flying downwards through a blue sky and white clouds.[21] The song was accompanied by the release of an audio video to KSI's YouTube channel on the same day.[23]

Rick Ross (left), S-X (centre) and Lil Baby (right) performing "Down Like That" at KSI vs. Logan Paul II, held at the Staples Center, Los Angeles.

The day after the song's release, on 9 November 2019, "Down Like That" was performed live by Rick Ross, Lil Baby and S-X at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, during KSI's ring walk entrance for his boxing rematch against Paul, which KSI went on to win via split decision.[24][25] Speaking about the live performance, KSI recalled, "As soon as I heard the track, I was on fire. I was pumped."[10] KSI said, "It [was] sick to have them perform it as my ring walk [song] live. It was groundbreaking stuff; historical stuff."[4] He continued, "It was huge. At the time, I was so focused [on the fight] that I didn't really take it in. It was only after the fight that I was like, 'I had Rick Ross and Lil Baby literally performing live!'"[8] Explaining the decision to have the featured artists perform the song during his ring walk, KSI said, "I wanted to make a statement and get inside Logan's head."[12] He continued, "I wanted him to realise the scale and the level that I was going [in] at. I wanted him to understand that we're at a different level compared to the last fight and he's not ready. He definitely felt it."[13] KSI and S-X performed "Down Like That" at the KISS Haunted House Party on 31 October 2020.[26]

"Down Like That" was met with mostly positive reviews from music critics. In his review for HotNewHipHop, Mitch Findlay called it a "decent, if not entirely spectacular" track. He wrote that "KSI sounds comfortable on the instrumental". Findlay observed that Rick Ross' verse is "brief and admittedly phoned-in", but said that his "presence and gravitas are statements in themselves". Findlay continued, "Lil Baby fares no better, capable though not exerting himself in the slightest."[14] Richard Smirke of Billboard called "Down Like That" a "catchy" and "hard-hitting" track.[12] Mark Savage of BBC News found the song "bone-chilling".[27] Writing for Euphoria, Tom Fogden compared "Down Like That" to "a lot of commercial rap coming out of the US" due to its "strong bassline", "infectious chorus" and "heavyweight features".[28] Sam Rasmin of Link Up TV praised S-X's "signature vocals" which create an "infectious" chorus. Rasmin proclaimed, "There is no doubt that this [song] will be doing numbers."[29] GRM Daily's Courtney Wynter liked how the artists "combine their contrasting styles" and noted that "the energetic tone of the track reflects the triumphant mood surrounding [KSI's] win [against Paul]".[30] In their review of "Down Like That", the staff of unCrazed remarked that the song "changes the dynamics of hip-hop by creating a whole new genre of music" and called it "original, inspirational and congenial". They awarded the song a rating of five stars out of five.[31]

The music video for "Down Like That" was directed by Nayip Ramos.[31] It was filmed in a warehouse in Los Angeles on 11 November 2019, two days after KSI beat Paul in their boxing rematch.[31] Speaking about filming the music video after the boxing fight, KSI said, "It would have been very awkward if I had lost [the fight]. Very very awkward. I don't think [the music video shoot] would have happened if I'm being honest."[10] The day after it was shot, KSI teased the music video's release by posting a photo of the four artists that was taken on the set of the shoot to his social media pages.[32][33] The music video premiered on KSI's YouTube channel two weeks after the release of the song on 22 November 2019 at 16:00 (UTC).[34] A behind-the-scenes video of the shoot was uploaded to the channel four days later.[35]

The music video opens with a brief message that reads, "On November 9th KSI beat Logan Paul in what was dubbed the biggest event in internet history. Two days later on November 11th he was on set filming his music video. Here is the result."[31] The opening scenes show KSI falling from a dark-thunderous sky before he crashes through a ceiling and lands on rubbled concrete.[31] The rest of the music video's cinematic imagery places the four artists in a dystopian comic book setting, centered in a world full of destruction, amongst motorcycles, burned out cars and bright-orange trash can fires.[10][36] Entertainment Tonight described the setting as "a Mad Max-inspired, apocalyptic warehouse with a dusty grunge aesthetic".[10] Speaking about the music video, KSI said, "We just wanted it to look cool as hell. Nothing too crazy. But something that people will watch and be like, 'Yeah, this is sick.'"[10] GRM Daily called the music video a "big set of visuals" and NME called it a "blockbuster video".[3][30] An alternative music video, titled "Down Like That (KSI vs Logan Paul 2 Edition)", which uses video footage from KSI's boxing rematch against Paul to accompany the audio track, was released to KSI's YouTube channel on 4 December 2019.[37]

In the United Kingdom, "Down Like That" debuted at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart.[38][39] The song peaked at number 10 in its third week, becoming KSI's first song to reach the top 10 of the chart.[39][40] The song spent a total of 11 weeks on the chart.[39] "Down Like That" peaked at number three on the UK Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart in its third week.[41] On 21 February 2020, "Down Like That" was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales of 200,000 track-equivalent units in the UK, becoming KSI's first release to receive a certification plaque.[42] On 27 May 2020, Music Week reported that "Down Like That" has sold 246,453 track-equivalent units in the country.[43] KSI reacted to the commercial success of "Down Like That" at the time, tweeting, "This just shows how powerful the YouTube community is... I love this community so much. [I've] seen all the posts... supporting the song and I can't thank you all enough. I truly know how powerful this community is. It's just all about letting the world/mainstream know."[44]

In Ireland, "Down Like That" was the highest new entry on the Irish Singles Chart, debuting at number 32.[45][46] The song peaked at number 26 in its third week and spent a total of eight weeks on the chart.[46][47] In Canada, "Down Like That" charted at number 77 on the Canadian Hot 100, becoming KSI's first song to enter the Canadian music charts.[48] The song charted at number 10 on the Euro Digital Song Sales chart.[49]

Credits adapted from Tidal.[50]

• KSI – songwriting, vocals
• Rick Ross – songwriting, vocals
• Lil Baby – songwriting, vocals
• S-X – production, songwriting, vocals
• Byron Trice – songwriting
• Michalis Michael – mixing
• Henkka Niemistö – mastering

• KSI vs. Logan Paul II
• List of UK top-ten singles in 2019
• List of UK Independent Singles Chart number ones of 2019

• Audio on YouTube
• Live performance at KSI vs. Logan Paul II on YouTube
• Behind-the-scenes video on YouTube
• Alternative music video on YouTube