!op ININTERVIEWTERVIEW ‘Are we awful or the best thing in the universe?’ Overnight, the bizarre Die Antwoord became an internet sensation with fans including David Lynch. Hermione Hoby met them hen Die Antwoord the Dragon Tattoo (she turned him an infamous close-up of his genitalia checked their emails on down) and two weeks ago they shared flapping in exuberant slo-mo beneath 2 February this year, a stage with the Aphex Twin at the a pair of Pink Floyd Dark Side of the among the 5,000 or so LED Festival. So how did this South Moon shorts. Die Antwoord’s name is Wmessages the group had received African “zef” rap-rave outfit, from “a Afrikaans for “the Answer” and at the overnight was one from Neill tiny fishing village in Cape Town”, end of the “Zef Side” video the narrator Blomkamp, the District 9 director and a come to be championed by hipsters the asks: “The answer to what?” fellow South African. The subject line world over? Ninja, joined by the teeny Yolandi read: “Oh my god.” And the message? The 3 million people who’ve and the tubby, mute DJ Hi-Tek, “I fucking love you guys.” now watched their first video, “Die slouches against a wall, squinting. Since then, their fame has travelled Antwoord – Zef Side”, will be familiar He raises his arm and lets it fall to further. David Lynch loves their videos with Yolandi, a diminutive blonde, and his side. “Whatever, man... fuck.” so much that he invited them round for Ninja, a tattooed, lanky guy endowed If Ninja doesn’t know the original coffee. David Fincher wanted to cast with a sinuous physicality which he question, neither does anyone else. singer Yolandi (stage name: Yo-Landi puts to good use as he dances and raps After the website Boing Boing seized Vi$$er) as Lisbeth Salander in the in an arresting Afrikaans/English on the video at the start of February, Hollywood remake of The Girl With hybrid. They’ll also be familiar with it was sent zipping round the globe, “taking over the interwebs”, in the band’s parlance, and increasing their YouTube views from around 800 to " % 500,000 almost overnight. Each posting was invariably accompanied by some combination of “wtf?”, “are they for real?” and “is this a joke?” Surely no serious rap could begin with: “Uh, yo, for real/ That’s what I’m talking about/ Check it out”, as the track “Beat Boy” does? “ But for the huge crowd rammed into Die Antwoord’s Ninja, left, and Yolandi: ‘You can’t stop us. We’ve got a fierce following.’ Berlin’s Magnet club to see them, Die Antwoord are no joke. Neither, it turns get much filthier than this. So filthy, hide away. The zef swearing, for me, is out, is their live show. Their set has the as Yolandi will tell me later, that when so fucking extreme that it’s like cartoon whole crowd thrashing and rapping they first became famous, “all these language – this weird, like, freak mode along, often in Afrikaans, to every word. conservative Afrikaners thought we’d fungus style. Because it’s not just a When they can keep up, that is, because sprung from Satan’s dark pit”. language, it’s...” Die Antwoord’s outrageous aesthetic My interview was originally A whole culture? makes it easy to overlook just how good postponed due to an ominously vague “Ja and we just, like, dived into that Ninja is. Relishing its guttural smacks explanation: “Ninja’s being... difficult.” and made that our thing.” and hard edges, he makes Afrikaans The band’s publicist tells me the last “Zef’s kind of like you don’t give a sound like a language that was made for journalist used the phrase “white fuck and you have your own flavour hip-hop. It’s testament to his charisma, trash” and called Ninja by his real and you’re on your own mission,” says !"!" too, that he can mutter an incidental name (the incongruously grand Watkin Yolandi. “It’s associated with people “fokken fok” into the microphone and Tudor Jones). She closes her eyes and who soup their cars up and rock gold elicit the kind of audience reaction shakes her head, as though his reaction and shit. Zef is, you’re poor but you’re worthy of Martin Luther King. was too horrific for words. None the fancy. You’re poor but you’re sexy, When not rapping, he shoots bug- less we venture, with some trepidation, you’ve got style.” eyed glances to his sides from beneath Ninja – or rather Watkin – has long a lowering brow, looking very much been involved in hip-hop groups (“I’ve "-* 3=&04*6&397*46*7*287&032,2*,0*(8*) 34*6&8.(1&78*64.*(* like a pre-Country Life John Lydon. ‘All these strait-laced been fucking around with lots of, like, 31437*6 *145,015())$0,;&7 Meanwhile, Yolandi, sullenly passive conceptual stuff for a while”), but the &0*&).2,A,96*3+&6359*34*6&&2)-.7197.( in the videos, is ferocious on stage. At Afrikaners thought thinking behind Die Antwoord, as ;&76*:*6*)'=1&2=0&8*6(31437*67.2(09).2, one point, she yells: “Germany! Now the 36-year-old explains, “was kinda $0'(."-*7836=3+.3'*.7)6&;2+6318-*(0&77.( you’ve fokken heard of me!” They’ve we’d emerged from throw away the conceptual stuff and 1=8-7.27,';4 more than heard of her – at least three Satan’s dark pit’ just let it be South Africa and South !8*++&2.@743686&=&03+8-*)*:&78&8.2,)3;2+&00 women in the crowd sport her haircut: African style. Yolandi sort of pushed 3+&4639)59**2;&7A6784*6+361*).292.(- an uncompromising combination of me because it was right there and .2 '982*<87**2320=.2 .2&6*:.:&0 undercut and mullet, with a brutally up a dark staircase to meet them. sometimes you can’t see what’s right in ).6*(8*)'=6-$4(/.(%&2)(32)9(8*)'= short fringe. “The Yolandi” may yet Backstage, in a brightly lit room, front of your face”. Yolandi, whose age +1/$4(0*(.%31&-86.914-&88-* become 2010’s hipster equivalent of Ninja is holding court while eating pitta remains a secret, “was doing nothing” !(-;*8>.2,*2*78.:&08-.7)6&1&8.(463)9(8.32 My friend’s ;.0023;'*78&,*)'="-* 3=&04*6& “the Rachel”. bread and hummus. He clasps both my before Die Antwoord except, as Ninja basement At one point, the pair lead the crowd hands and does a little bow and a series adds with some pride, “causing trouble, *&).2,8-*;360)(0&7774*(.&0.78.28*646*8*67+36 in a chant of: “Jou mae se poes in a of ingratiating head tilts, an odd and going to rehab and getting expelled”. 8-.7&6359*34*6&+1/$4(0*(.%31&-(32)9(87 flat turned 8-*$.5+$4$3(6/$0004(/%.(;.8-&;&6) fispaste jar”, which Ninja translates, endearing courtly dance that’s repeated Ninja’s engaged in an anecdote about ;.22.2,7346&23!:310,26((04.28-*8.80*630* out to be politely, as “your mother’s private when we say goodbye. Gesturing to their beef with one of the producer &2)1&0*7346&23$&(-$49&9-184-,1&/.2,-.7 one fetid parts in a fish paste jar”. Their lyrics their rider – tiny dishes of prunes, Diplo’s DJs when he lets slip that he 3=&04*6&)*'98 nuts and sweets: were it not for the has a daughter. A daughter? “Ja, ja” he room – ;" Jägermeister bottles, it could be a table says, impatiently. With Yolandi? “Ja, !# and the set for a children’s birthday party – he we’re just friends, but we had this kid ;" space gabbles: “Have some food, it’s all free!” by accident. We’re a good fucking mum Complimentary peanuts may soon and dad on that level, whatever.” I’m where I lose their thrill, but for now, you can’t reeling at the image of either of these was to really blame them for getting excited. two changing nappies. Ninja, however, Die Antwoord are not the first hip- is speeding on. “A lot of people wanted sleep a hop group to inject humour into what to ban the interweb to stop us getting patch at they do. They are, however, the first known. And you can’t stop it. We’ve got the foot of rap-rave group from South Africa this fierce fucking following – like the 18$5&+5+(/,0,10.,0(<./;.8-.$,0($'/13( to become a global phenomenon, cutest, most freak-mode, wildest kids, .6*(8363+4*6&+1/$4(0*(.%31&-(32)9(836 his bed delivering a slap in the face to anyone and also older people who are super- 1.,04,/40*&).2,*<4*6832!8*++&2.&2) Alexei Sayle moaning about the homogenisation of duper in tune with what we’re doing, 31)(4413$3,0$"$30(30*(896*6321=8-7&2) culture or the pervasiveness of Anglo- and that’s not going away – it’s getting 0*,*2)7:.7.8;;;63-36,9/2.3'* recalls his American pop music. bigger fucking fast. Bigger and bigger. art student When I meet them the following “It’s, like,” he continues, “is this ? ? ? !" years week in London at their record label [Die Antwoord] fucking terrible, like " ? " – they’re newly signed to Polydor – fucking retardedly the worst thing ever " !""! they’re hunched inside their own- or the most amazing thing in the entire #!"88831+13*6-0,1%( Observer brand tracksuits looking morose.