South African rave rap group Die Antwoord catapulted to overnight success when their edgy music video for 2010 single “Enter The Ninja” went viral. The video was perfect for viral success, looking like an punk art project, but it also had high-quality production, deft rapping and a highly danceable backing track. It's a mix that earned the band a growing cult following and propelled it to a pair of internationally acclaimed albums and concerts with sold out tickets around the world. On the 2013 European tour, the scene was somewhere between a hip-hop show, a rave and a gonzo comedy routine full of frenetic energy, intense dance music and lots of thrusting. On stage, Die Antwoord blasted through an hour and a half of music, including its latest, “Cookie Thumper!” The shows are a visual treat too, with the tattooed co-lead singer Ninja half-naked and wearing a mask fit for a horror movie villain and the other lead Yo-landi Vi$$er sporting bright pink hot pants and pitch-black contact lenses.
As the frontman for MaxNormal.TV and The Constructus Corporation, Ninja has been a member of the South African hip-hop scene for years, but he’s said that all of that was just preparation for the madness that is Die Antwoord. After the international viral success of “Enter The Ninja,” Die Antwoord decided to strike out on its own, independently releasing its 2011 sophomore album, "Ten$Ion," which debuted at No. 20 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Chart and spawned the popular single “Fatty Boom Boom.” In 2013, they followed that up with “Cookie Thumper!," the first single off a third album called "Donker Mag." Die Antwoord's unique style and dynamic energy will continue to please new and old fans alike.
