A little over a year ago, I was building a playlist in Spotify for all of the acts playing at the VOODOO Festival in New Orleans, LA and coming to terms with the idea that I had no idea who some of the electronic/rave artists were. I figured I’d go down that rabbit hole for a while and take a listen. Not a huge fan of the genre (or rap) I wasn’t expecting much for my taste.
That’s when I discovered the South African rave/rap group DIE ANTWORD. . I was not supposed to like this…but I dug it. Then I watched the videos and now…I love it.
Yolandi and The Ninja bring it hard on so many levels. They’re rapping in three languages at once – Afrikaans, Xhosa, English – all of which sounds like an odd cross between Proper English, “clichéd Shrimp on the Barbie” Aussie, and some sort of street thug. Both of them are blazing fast in delivering the lines and have a real slick timing to getting it all in so fast.
Totally love the videos. Call it performance art. Call it social commentary. Call it satire. Call it ridiculous. Call it spectacular. I would say, “Yes” to all of em…
The clip below Fatty, Boom, Boom from 2012’s Ten$ion slams shitty rap music, commercial radio and Lady Gaga with as much subtly as a bus driving through a window store. I think it’s brilliant and hope it offends.
Here’s the full album if you wanna take a listen.
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