You know the (almost certainly not true) tale that Dr. Dre believed Eminem to be black when he first heard his demo? To both the ignorant and the easily offended, Die Antwoord are going to be all the more confusing. Since last year’s release of the “Enter the Ninja” video, these guys have been readying to invade the States, building a rep with each youtube hit. The group’s most prominent members are Ninja and Yo-Landi Vi$$er, both hailing from South Africa, and both white. You can use them as fodder for a pretentious conversation about the long-term affects of apartheid in the country, but for those who didn’t understand how Slim Shady rose out of Detroit, two really weird (really, really weird) white kids hurling out of Africa is going to be worth a hernia all over again.
In all ways, this has been an album long coming. Firstly, it’s pretty much already been released. Scenesters everywhere rejoice: you can now pull the “I’ve known about this for a year” card. Yo-Landi’s been involved with “Ninja” (previously Max Normal) for years, it just took this project to bring them attention. Real name Watkin Jones, Ninja’s used a number of names, but seems to have settled on this hypersexual and confrontational persona.
The ferocity of this music is new to Watkin; he’s never so fully relied on the absurd. Their comical “international” sound has the music being discussed as focused satire on the state of South Africa, but if anything, the humor seems to simply lampoon the world’s obsession with more. Many of Ninja’s lyrics are so crazed that they’d give the nastiest American MCs pause. It’s almost no matter: this is very much music grounded in its overall sound – you’re entranced by the aggressive beats and his delivery, but it’s rare you’ll truly follow what he’s saying. The beats themselves are largely handled by DJ Hi-Tek, and often sound a bit like something Crystal Castles might dream up. It all makes for a bizarrely addicting comedy horror show – you’re certainly not getting anything out of what Ninja’s snarling about, and Yo-Landi’s simply creepy, but the moment you put the album away, you’ll have bits popping up in your head. The album is similar to Ninja’s delivery – it aggressively and obnoxiously takes control, and somehow gets you to enjoy it all.
As for the music itself, near all of it was previously available on last year’s free internet release. Instead of making this release tedious, it manages to present the group in a better light. The internet release, as most are, was bloated, and the trimming has resulted in a refocused work, allowing for a concentrated perspective on the artists. A new track, “Evil Boy” sports Diplo production, and the results are, predictably, a song M.I.A. would have felt at home guesting on, which isn’t inappropriate considering her current role in popularizing international music in pop. Despite it sounding like a mess on paper, it all works: this zef music Ninja clams to be making, the absurd results, Yo-Landi’s creepy sing-song choruses, the pair’s seemingly faux accents – to what end is it all aimed? Good luck figuring that out completely, but a few things are clear: it’s ridiculous and it’s good, unique fun.
Their completely standalone nature makes it easy to dissociate the group from the larger hip hop world – so where do Die Antwoord fall? With the mass of expansion of hip hop into pop over the last decade, rap’s inevitably been opening to just about anyone who cares to spit a rhyme. Both Die Antwoord and Das Racist represent a movement that we’ve had coming: guys who simply love hip hop – regardless of their background. Whatever the fuss they may cause if they blow up, in regards to “the future of the art,” they’re a much healthier growth than the soap opera star driven R&B rap that’s been ruling the last year. Ninja may simply be yet another comical caricature, but he’s enjoying himself, creating music rather than a product. As much so as any classic record, this is hip hop evolving and growing: reason enough to declare it still living.
