There’s a new sound blowing up in the Kaapse Afrikaanse hip hop community. Imagine some dirty electro 80s style beats and some simple-yet-catchy synth. Then throw in some of the filthiest and funniest lyrics you’ve ever heard, at the same time poignant and dripping with irony and you’re getting close to what Die Antwoord is producing, under the billing of a zef rap-rave crew. So rof are some of the lyrics that, frankly, you need to take a bath after listening to it. Other tracks are like nursery rhymes for dof gangsters about the perils of smoking weed, Dagga Puff and struggling to get naai’d, Scopie. Then there’s the hit collaboration with Francois Van Coke on Doos Dronk which recreates a Tom Waits inspired burlesque style drinking song with Ninja and Yolandi Visser from Die Antwoord dropping the verses hip hop style and Francois conjuring up all the moments of his drunken youth and belting out the chorus. It’s an ode to the dop system. A song that captures and distills to essence all the dronk verdriet weekends of a million Kaapse farm workers. It’s a visceral South African masterpiece of a song. And this is a very different take on Gangster Rap.
So we at Mahala thought it would be poignant to give Die Antwoord their 15 glorious minutes in the fabulous glare of the Mahala fame bulb. But NINJA, frontman of Die Antwoord, had a few ground rules first.
1. The interview had to be done over the internet.
2. We’re not allowed to mention any of their previous projects.
This is how it went down.
Mahala: What is Die Antwoord?
NINJA: Die Antwoord is the name of my zef Zuid Afrikaanse rap-rave crew.
Mahala: How did Die Antwoord come about?
NINJA: Die Antwoord was always there hiding in the dark waiting for me to find it.
Mahala: A song like Dagga Puff has a strong and direct social message and comes across as a kind of nursery rhyme – and it’s obvious you’re trying to make a point and change the habits of your audience, or at least make them think more. Then other songs like Doos Dronk with Francois – take more subtle, tongue in cheek digs at our alcoholic culture. Same with Scopie – taking on sex. Are you trying to make a point. Or do you just want people to dance to your music, get fucked and then go home and pomp?
NINJA: Yes.
Mahala: How do you feel when your audience does not connect with the meaning of your music – and thinks that some of these ‘ironic’ songs are intentional. As if Die Antwoord is to get fucked up and have sex and live to buy expensive kak.
NINJA: Different people find Die Antwoord in different things.
Mahala: You said in the interview with Griffin on the Watkykjy website that you like coloured people. From your music it sounds like you are coloured, but from that statement, I take it you’re not. Are you pretending to be coloured?
NINJA: Every poes is pink on the inside.
Mahala: Do coloured people find Die Antwoord patronising?
NINJA: I’ll ask some of my coloured tjommies when I go to Mitchell’s Plein next Thursday.
Mahala: Do you get negative feedback because people think you’re just jumping on this Kaapse taal rap to sell records?
NINJA: We don’t sell records. Die Antwoord $O$ album is downloadable for free off the interweb. (Click here to download Die Antwoord)
Mahala: Does Afrikaans music sell more units than English South African music? Is Die Antwoord a calculated business decision?
NINJA: Everything I do is strictly business.
Mahala: Is Die Antwoord making money?
NINJA: Die Antwoord maak dik fokken zak my blaar.
Mahala: When you talk about your gang $O$ you seem to use a lot of Cape Gang references, phrases like bloed in, bloed uit and other symbols in your style. Is that just bad ass gangster rap posturing. Or are you guys really connected to gangs in and out of prison?
NINJA: Ask no questions hear no lies.
Mahala: Word on the street is that your use of certain elements of Cape Gang culture has upset some gang members. How do you deal with that? Does it scare you that these bad fokken naaiers want to get you?
NINJA: My blaar, we all in the same gang.
Mahala: Lekker Ninja. Let me know. I’m really keen to do a good piece here. So please don’t just give me one word answers. Try and elaborate and show our audience who the Ninja is and what Die Antwoord is all about. If the question is kak, then tell me why and set me straight.
NINJA: No your questions was kak gevaarlik my blaar.
KIF (
KAK (
What a waste of space these people are. I’m surprised you published this.
Like Annie Wilkes I bring the misery
Paul Sheldon chop your ankle off type of delivery
Take the double D, replace it with double L
What does it spell? You tell me pal
Where’s Waddy?
Ooooo-la-di-da-di
All I see is this motherfucking Wally
He rhyme professional, but I beat him with my hobby
It’s easy to keep skinny when a motherfucker’s starving
Die fokken Antwoord!!!
Easy to be brave when you post anonymously
D Naai – such a hater. If you’re as talented where’s your album?
Doos Dronk for song of the year…
Fok julle naaiers. Die Antwoord pomp pel!
These guys are brilliant, Ninja You Rule!
Help me out here, am sick at home and high flue tabs
Is that Waddy Jones?.
Miles
fuck yes die antwoord is poes cool
Ninja i see you….
fucking cool i like this interweb interview …. poes cool!
Alles moes ‘n screte weesie!
if you question the power of ”die antwoord” and the NINJA then come and get doos dronk met ons and see what it is all about fucker’s!
Nice one ninja
out
peace
”i.c.u”
You know, strangely enough, I enjoyed Die Antwoord se performance at Ramfest 09. They’re different, I’ll give them that…
Die Ninja mag dalk vol kak wees, maar ek dig sy shit!
What a self-caricaturing, uninteresting lout of a human being this guy is! From trite platitudes like “Every poes is pink on the inside”, to cryptic one-liners that betrays how utterly stupid he actually is… I concur with Anonymous poster #1 – giving attention to brain-dead fame-seekers like this is a waste of time.
Here’s my advice to Ninja:
Go get a fucking education and do something worthwhile with your life, instead of playing ‘gangsters’, setting a poor example to the youth, and channeling your childish throwback fantasies into your music.
Actually I take back what I said
It’s true what Ninja says: That every poes is pink on the inside.
It’s weird how that line bothered me the most.
I realized something today:
When we hate someone, we are hating something that is within ourselves, in his image.
We are never stirred up by something which does not already exist within us.
I hope I don’t change my mind again and regret what I just said.
Fuck I’m going crazy here…
I bet twenty rond that anonypoes is waddy.
Waddy is a professional clown. Why does anyone take anything he says or does seiously?
Hi my name is…
Stonk
waddy is retarded, which is a by product of an ego problem.
this ninja guy is one of the most creative fuckers around.
dont take it so seriously folks.its creative and fun,an escape from all the shit going down.
dont kick sand in ninjas face naaiers.
ja because you know what might happen
Waddy doesn’t have a retirement annuity fund, medical aid or insurance. How old is he, like forty? What the fuck is he going to do if 16 needs braces/high schooling?
Your reference to Tom Waits perked my interest
Man’s a kamelion, changes his spots with the fluctuation of his inner tides, seen him morph through more warps spasms than Slaine, bet your bottom fiddy he’ll rearrange when the next full moon come round.
Just another project for the man with a million faces. That’s entertainment, innit?
Fuck man nobody tunes Bowie poes for his megamorphasis over the jares, en niemand tjoon daai reuse fokken trapsuutjies Madonna vir haar kleurveranderings, so waarsie fokkin fuss?
Max Normal is lankal fokken dood! Lank lewe die Ninja!
he made “a visceral South African masterpiece of a song” and that’s what it is really all about.
sounds like those are waddy’s quotations
no dickwaddy. its from the article.
If only i would understand Afrikaans…I am curious!
joo peeple is maiking faaah to mush kak in my eeyas wif jou fancie displais of inglish litracha.
jus kwiet daun sum, an listen to da tunes.
blaar
Enter the Ninja – music video coming out soon.
Stop bashing the guy. It’s all about creativity and fun! He’s a product and people are buying it.
Die Antwoord is poes fokken sharp !
Kick ass Ninja !
He’s pushing the envelope and someone’s got to.
Music is art, and art is subjective – people hate what they don’t understand.
Pomp dit fokken louder ekse.
Here my owen my blaar!!! Nes jy daar se….POMP DIT FOKKEN LOUDER EKSE. Dis net fokken naaiers wat nie weet hoe om hulself te enjoy nie.
Die antwoord rocks
some people do take this too seriously, die antwoord is funny, just enjoy it. don’t get ur panties all into a knot! poes
die antwoord is poes goed. ja sure toe ek hul die eerste keer sien en hoor het ek gejudge, maar toe ek verby dit kyk kom ek agter dis fokkin goed. mense moet ophou judge.. enter the ninja beteken vir my baie, veral na die kak wat ek in my lewe gehad het. respect ninja. julle is poes duidelik. hoop om nog nuwe songs te hoor
I love you waddy? Do you still wear that sexy little tennis broekie?
I just stumbled across this band, and I’m sort of ambivalent about them. Annoying yet compelling at the same time. There’s something behind the image and lyrics, or maybe there isn’t, and that’s the whole point. Haha. Screw it, I like em’
Haha, and Anthony’s comments are the best. You can see the impact the band made on him just from his two posts. Check em out, they’re the 13th and 14th comments on this list
die music is goood fun en die cherrie is poes hot, wht the fuuuuk let them
do their shit, atleast is daar nie houtkop daar nie…. julle uitgenaaide poes lekkers!!!
i’d do anything to fuck yolandi.
me to bru, smaaaaak toe eat her BUTERFLY…… fuck pielletjies with his
onderbroek oppi kop, ill be Yolandi’s NINJA!!!!
[...] Related: more coverage at Mahala. “Die fokken Antwoord is,” and earlier, “15 Minutes with a NINJA” and “Max Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.” Images in this post courtesy of [...]
Deze shit is funny swaas. Je weet jonguh, tha real deal with waddy and yolandi. But only one thing i like to add. Ge kunt de groetuh uit Brabant krijgen, KUT!
Blaar uit
this whole thing is so fail
Its Jack Parow rapping in Doosdronk not Ninja
well done Andy…….fail
Sorry i didn’t mention Jack Parow, that was a bit of an oversight, but it’s not like Ninja didn’t play the major role in the song. According to Francois, Ninja basically orchestrates the whole thing, and he sang it alone on Friday night… everyone’s a flippen expert all of a sudden… and so easily affronted
ik vind het fokken brilkliant vooral doosdronk
rappen in afrikaans is 100 keer beter dan in nederlands
de combinatie van rap en rave spreekt me erg aan
ik hoop dat er nog veeeeeel meer van komt
respekt en ook de groeten uit nederland
Broers en susters
DIe ou is of baie slim, of fokken onnosel. Ek dink die antwoord(e) was in die kol, selfs al was die vrae kak gevaarlik….
Die antwoord komt naar Amsterdam, ik kan niet wachten.
Most people here loved them until they discovered Ninja was just an act being played by a skilled method actor that is actually a husband and father and far more educated and well spoken then his persona of Ninja. Some people consider them a joke anyways, but the music is good, although a lot of the lyrics are too vulgar for anything near the mainstream.
I think that if Waddy and his wife had just come out as themselves, without all the fraud they would be more authentic and people would not get so turned off when they find out the truth. They are very skilled actors I give them that, although Yolandi looks uncomfortable with the whole thing. The white trash image is not why they have become popular.
It’s a shame. And a contrast to the way Jack Parow has come up as an artist. When I hear Jack rap, Im convinced once he leaves the studio, he is still Jack Parow when he goes home at the end of the day. Ninja and Yolandi change back to being real people when they get home to their daughter.
Not Bad at all
like the album
but “de jeugd van tegenwoordig” is just a little bit better^^
DIe Antwoord spells fail in US.
This f****** guy “ninja” has nothing on waddy! What a bunch of fucking crackheads! I would rather hang myself with rusty barbed wire than listen to die antwoord, even Jack Parow is better than NINJA, and thats pretty bad! You are too gangster Ninja, what a f****** joke!
In their one song Yo-landi says “No means yes”, I hope that doesn’t mean what I think it means. They are creative and there is no doubt that they are different, especially for the Afrikaans music industry. Lets just hope that they aren’t sending out the wrong message to the youth.
Kan niet wachtennnn totdat ze in Amsterdam komen! Hier worden ze wel heet hoor! Ze zijn al superclip enzoo!
Like thatt!
flippen cool tune brother. Keep on doing that!
Unique and fucking interesting, Die Antwoor… Zef is nou die nuwe poes cool!!!
Dat man him hava da antz in his pants ja?
Yeah their the “fame seeking” losers who don’t deserve the attention they yet. My fucking ass, their music is more original, has more attitude, and flavor than 90% of the shit this country (U.s.a) regurgitates daily on MTV and all the “music” television channels. Your trying to tell me this group with their unique style is less deserving of fame than that cunt Lady Gaga or that tone deaf retard Myley Cyris. Get real. It’s called a Stage Persona, look at Alice Cooper or Kiss, putting on a good show while playing original is how you make it. Ever wonder how this group of poor ass ghetto inhabitants in south Africa somehow are suddenly Richer than you will ever be. keep hating on other’s success you sad little nerds
weet niet hoe het komt, maar vind ze freaky fascinerend, ik ga dus zeker kijken als ze in amsterdam zijn. echte red-necks zijn ze niet, komen uit welvarende families, sacha baron cohen method acting enzo, maar dan nog, leipe shit ouwe!
@Die antwoord fan,
Read more on the group you shmuck. Obviously you have not don your research. They dont come from the ghetto idiot.
^^
This is so much a hiphop-parody! I love it!
I can’t wait till these lot are in Belgium!
Update gig-list on your homepage asap!
They’re gonna be a hit with the Varsity college / Vega kids with their snobbish mockery.
@ Die Antwoord Fan – “this group of poor ass ghetto inhabitants in south Africa”. Don’t be fooled. I live here and they certainly are not what you think they are. They are a sorry bunch of attention-seeking, really boring individuals. Chancers!!
This hole crew is one big BITE
Thy have no gang relation what so ever
Thy not poor at all……
No wander this inter view is so fucking boring cause Waddy aka Ninja just bites from collerds
to the look to there songs
Enter the ninja bite
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_qwUS8Uqjg
Zef side bite
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcRnMfZyYrw
There hole look bite
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v148/hurricane328/leibovitz-annie-keith-haring-720004.jpg
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/ny/10-27-08keith1.jpg
looks allot like
http://www.10and5.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/0241.jpg
Thy made it cause thy RICH kids pretending to be poor
He lams in the plain to see how things are done then he goes home to his nice surburban life
and then come up with ideas
Dope Quistens with kak Answers thought thy are the answer
And then when Thy get a bit of fame thy get the balls to hate on other local crews
This ninja don’t walk in the street cause he knows he is gonna get his ass kicked
One of the major problems here in SA is that we are quick to shoot down artistic talent. All major artists are putting on an act. They have publicists and agents who advise them to uphold an certain immage anf when they go home, they go back to being ‘themselves.
That entertainment and that is what people want. If you dont like them, don’t listen to them, its that simple, but the truth is, you cant help but watch because non of us know whats next.
I think their lyrics and videos are incredible and I wish them nothing but success.
They make me feel something when i listen to their music and they force me to confront issues that are not PC to discuss. At least they have the balls to speak their truth and I commend them for that.
Waddy, I will support you,and you deserve your success. i hope you read this because you deserve what you get
Are you all stupid? it is clearly a spoof group, Ninja is acting a role, like Ali G did in England. The fact you all have bitten his bait mean he is doing a good job
mikey, Ali G. isn’t acting a role, as it’s just a character. Whereas Sacha Baron Cohen is acting a role. It’s obvious the group isn’t real and still, we like their music because they’re not serious.
not gonna bother reading all of this, but for the people that are calling waddy retarded and stupid need to realise that this motherfucker has been making the sickest music for years! try find some MC totally Rad / Max Normal stuff…The Constructus Corporation too. He has worked hard for years on music and i think he deserves a little bit of a reward!
Exso-fokken- lent bra,s! Kief tunes oor regte afrikaanse tos! Julle is wie julle is en as mense wil kak swaai fok hulle. As hulle julle smaak cool! as nie..fok hulle weer!!!!
ek lees al die comments en dink by myself amal mag komentaar lewer maar my liewe fok ouens is dit nodig om die poes woord so baie te gebruik een of twee keer in die song is genoeg maar om dit herhaaldelik in een fokken sin te gebruik is af soos slap kak in jou broek, toon net so iewat respek vir dames
Die FOKKEN Antwoord rock die kak uit hardlywige pensioenarisse uit!
MaxNormal.TV was way better than this shit. Last time I saw Die Antwoord I nearly threw up and I wasn’t even that drunk
Oh shit!! Those lyrics are fucking briljant!! Saw Beat boy video yesterday (Never heard of Die Antwoord before) Fucking great. I’m from Cameroon but i live in Holland and i thought is was a Dutch crew. Got to love this shit!! You don’t?: POES!!!!
ek kan nie glo,dat julle dit musiek noem nie!!!! dis die grootste klom KAK op die aard bol. en n meisie wat so vloek!!!!!!!! girl its not on. die beroep is nie vir julle bedoel nie,julle maak net jul naam knaters. dit laat my wonder,kom julle nie meskien van epping of parow park af nie? dis swak swak swak. julle kan dink dit is so cool,maar eintlik suck julle big time!!!! ek kry julle so jammer,lyk vi my julle kry nie genoeg aandag by die mense wat vir jul om gee nie,dis as julle so iets het,
@ Mplain FTW
Hahahaha, the fact that this group fool so many people does make me like them that little bit more. If you rag on them for ‘BITE’ing from other groups and styles then clearly the satire is lost on you. Thanks all the same for posting those links so that I can better appreciate the awesome parody of Die Antwoord
True there’s a blurry line in satire between clever/hilarious and snobbish/offensive but I commend people who challenge that boundary! Sacha Baron Cohen, Chris Lilley, and Die Antwoord FTW.
who gives a shit if they are “fake”?
anyone who has time to waste hating a satirical and awesomely talented band like this has got too much time and money on their hands, get off your internet asses and stop being whiney little bitches!!! They’ve got talent, they’re funny and they’re obviously having fun!
this is what music should be, not fuckers who take themselves way too seriously and think they’re actually giving something to the world when they’re actually just an absolute joke made by multi-billion dollar companies who are just in it to make an easy (and dirty) dollar.
OBVIOUSLY Die Antwoord isn’t for everybody (which is great, who wants to listen to the same lump of pop-dogshit over and over again anyway?!) They are (hilariously) offensive, but I absolutely love them and think they should keep doing what they’re doing!
To the person who posted as neosa. Dude I have no problem that you want to be me but DO NOT POST KAK UNDER MY NAME!!! I’m glad you smaak my kak cool chommies of DIe Antwoord cause they are gods among men, but post as yourself or I will show you what it feels like as ‘n piel in jou oor is!!!
Ek pomp Die antwoord! Ek like the fresh fokken fansite ook: http://www.dieantwoordzeflings.com POES COOL!
i just dont think it’s fake…. at least i really dont want it to be…. it’s way too good for that
Get your Zef Side tshirt here.
http://www.kidbclothing.com/?p=205
[...] and Ninja are married and have a daughter who’s just about school age named Sixteen) and this. The world of zef rap and South African music seems to be storming our American shores, and I for [...]
die antwoord is die shit oz love hul veraj vir jolandie
This whole fake argument is sort of confusing and sideways. Live music is created on a stage by performers interpreting something for an audience. Your experience of it is the only thing that’s “real.” I also don’t get the impression that Die Antwoord is a purely satirical act like Ali G. Maybe there are elements of satire in it, but it encompasses much more than that–iand t’s so much fun. I’d much rather see/listen to art made by artists than “real” art manufactured by the marketing teams that govern life here in the US.
we loved him in
Original Evergreen
Max Normal
and now he just keeps it coming with Die Antwoord.
brilliant.
The link to download the album doesn’t seem to work… can anybody help me out here?
this is awesome love this song
Can any one tell me how can i downlode the album i can’t find it please.
you guys have such a clever concept. basing the theme on white capetonian trash with the best swearing culture in the world and excellently executed. you get my vote N & Y.
and all the best in the future
Die Antwoord was amazing in Cape Town on Saturday 5 June!!!!!!!!!!!
Fok ppl who don’t get it… That’s just because it’s Next Level….. Not everyone is a Ninja.
Fokken Love Die Antwoord!!!!!
I think the lyrics are shweeet and to the point. They say it as it is….befok!!!!
Kick ass ek like jull Shit dit rock
ya have rocked fokken durban yo….it was fokken great …keep up the tunes flowin….big up…
get your Zef tshirt HERE http://www.memeteeonline.com/products-page/
you’re all fucking retarded. the whole thing is a spoof, and it’s pretty damn funny in my opinion. you imbeciles need to stop making your seed available for the rest of our gene pool, so our future generations have no possibility of inheriting your incredible lack of wit
[...] meg jo en utmerket anledning til å introdusere Mahala! Du leser deres intervju med Die Antwoord her – og det kom altså leeenge før noen kommersielle oppdaget dem. Dette er bildet som følger [...]
get your South African ZEF tshirt at MemeTeeOnline.com
WAT ‘N POES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Artists – how can you not love Die Fokken Antwoord?