Interview With Prominent TikTok Star Ozikoy

Over the past year, apps like TikTok have revolutionized what it means to be an “influencer.” No longer confined to the type of stardom found in TV and movies, teens across the country instantly found themselves a new dream, to become “TikTok famous.” Khalil Yatim, better known as “Ozikoy,” is becoming a success story to all aspiring creators at just 16 years old. With a whopping 4,000,000 fans on his TikTok page, he’s risen to stardom over the past few months. Recently, we got the chance to dive into the mind of Yatim, and see what he thinks about his journey thus far. 

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you get into social media? 

A: My name is Khalil Yatim A.K.A OZIKOY… I have many hobbies that I practice and have a lot of fun doing, such as sleight of hand (magic tricks), Beatboxing, and Soccer. I started my youtube channel when I was around ten years old. I was determined to create some dope content but never really was consistent. I have always had a passion for being a creator, but I just didn’t know how to gain an audience 

Q: What’re some of the coolest things that you’ve done with your online presence?

A: Honestly, I love to make people laugh and smile… The ability to put a smile on someone’s face means so much to me. You never know what that person may be struggling with. 

Q: What’re you ultimately trying to achieve with all that you’re doing online?

A:  I’ve always been thinking to myself, how long will these pranks on TikTok last? There are so many factors to this, and planning beforehand is much easier than stressing about it last minute. I’ve been trying to achieve making people happy; I’ve always dreamt of having an audience and now that I have it, it really shows that nothing is impossible 

Q: What advice would you give to the younger people who want to do what you do? 

A: To everyone that wants to do what I do, I have a BIG TIP for you all, so listen up! Try different things… switch up your content and make sure to ALWAYS think of what your potential TikTok audience would like to see in their feed. 

Q: How were you able to grow such a large following on social media? 

A: I wouldn’t really say I have a large following, there is still so much in the works, and this is only the beginning. I was able to grow my following because I love what I do. When you love doing something, nothing is stopping you! 

Q: Any additional comments you’d like to share?

A: Please promise me that y’all are going never to stop grinding; I don’t care the number of followers you have, I don’t care about the views you average, I don’t care if you even take a few breaks here and there.. but what I do care about though is if you quit… because all this time/hard work working for your dreams to just fade away is not something anyone should take lightly. Start believing yourself and keep grinding – KOY  

Ozikoy embodies perseverance, grit, hard work, and heart. As his accounts continue to grow, he sets his goals towards the sky. If you’re interested in keeping up with him, you can check out his TikTok or Instagram, both titled @Ozikoy.