w/ Coach & Rate Review by Philip Obenschain (@pobenschain). Photos by Mary-Beth Blankenship. Most artists without renowned backgrounds in acting flounder with faced with translating their talents to the big screen. Though they certainly have a flair for the theatrics, I assumed that South African hip hop group Die Antwoord would at least display some growing pains while portraying a sensationalized version of themselves in Neill Blomkamp’s latest sci-fi epic, Chappie (now playing in theaters), but, to my delight, that was hardly the case. Enigmatic rap meets performance artists Ninja and, especially, Yolandi Visser absolutely flexed their chops in the (in my opinion, better than it’s getting credit for) flick, and had me extra energized to see them perform in their primary medium, music, over the weekend at Marathon Music Works. Of course, I’ve been a fan of Die Antwoord’s long before they were kidnapping Hollywood robots, but the insanity of their recent show was even more over the top than I could have imagined.

Photo by Mary-Beth Blankenship. Following a warmup set from local DJs Rate and Coach, Die Antwoord entered to a drawn-out, moody intro, which included about 10 minutes of false starts before a gregorian chant gave way to a solo from often overlooked but incredibly important third wheel, DJ Hi-Tek (who held it down expertly all night long). A few minutes in, and the star duo, Ninja and Yolandi, emerged, faces shrouded in orange hazmat hoodie/suits as the sold out crowd erupted. Blurring the lines between hip hop and club music, band and art piece, the multi-lingual and complex cultural identity of Die Antwoord, champions of the anti-posh zef counter-cultural movement, lends to an intriguing spectacle, both as a music fan and as someone looking through the lens of a different cultural perspective. Bright and bold, the group’s staging mimicked the homemade, graffiti-insipired, and punk attitude of their aesthetic- fancy, but homemade, which is the core style of zef. Throughout the show, videos and visuals were projected onto a massive screen, which only enhanced their bombastic delivery.

Photo by Mary-Beth Blankenship. Quickly shedding layers, Yolandi  and Ninja, whose chemistry is undeniable, went through the visual gamut of South African street wear, bold (and bordering on offensive) visual proclamations, and even surrealist animal masks and face coverings. Donning her signature heavy makeup and dark contacts, Yolandi looked other-worldy, and, while Ninja might be the brains behind their musical direction and the more technically well-versed MC, it’s Yolandi’s spunk, energy, and pint-sized fireball of uniqueness that really helps the group exist on a plane of their own. sonik hoodiesFor much of the show, a female backup dancer intermittently emerged, donning costumes matched to the track, twerking on table tops, and generally adding the ruckus. kyungsoo hoodieWhile Visser mostly kept to the stage, Ninja opted to crowd surf, initiate call and response, heckle, and serve and the grand master of the evening’s chaos.dodge viper hoodies

The set actually seemed much shorter than I would have expected, through the band, to the die-hard crowd’s delight, hit on all of their fan favorites like “Fatty Boom Boom,” “Cookie Thumper,” and “Pit Bull Terrier.” Though the show and intensity and spot-on delivery lived up to my expectations, I was a bit surprised by how rehearsed it all felt. Not insincere, mind you, but with as unpredictable and off the cuff as Die Antwoord seem, catching a performance that seemed very pre-orchestrated was a bit of a shock. vlado hoodieThat said, they’re also professionals, and when you’re syncing to lights and tracks and outfit swaps, trying to wing it just wouldn’t land. bulldogs hoodie nrlEqual parts important cultural talking point, gifted musical artists, and unmatched innovators, Die Antwoord are one of the weirdest, most fun acts making music today, and I encourage you to see them any chance that you get.buzz lightyear t-shirt hot topic

Yolandi From Die Antwoord Picks A Fight With Drake Die Antwoord seemed to be on the verge of climbing to a new tier of celebrity this year with Ninja and Yolandi Visser playing prominent roles in the dystopian sci-fi twee oddity Chappie. Now they’ll definitely be more famous, but not for the right reasons; notorious might be a better word for it. Drake and Die Antwoord are both touring Australia right now as part of the traveling Future Music Festival, and for whatever reason, Visser decided to lash out at Drake on Instagram three days ago. As Billboard points out, Visser posted a photo of Drake overlaid with the phrase, “I’m a massive faggot.” The caption reads, “Fuk. Kak is slang for feces. Here’s the offending post: A photo posted by ¥O-LANDI VI$$ER (@prawn_star) on Feb 28, 2015 at 3:24am PST According to a Huffington Post interview from 2011, because Die Antwoord’s DJ Hi-Tek is gay, they think they have a right to use homophobic slurs. Here’s Ninja on the matter:

I’d like to set the record straight here once and for all. Number one: DJ Hi-Tek is gay. So there you go. Now you all know. Number two: Dj Hi-Tek says the word faggot doesn’t hold any power over him. Hi-Tek says faggot all the time cause he’s like, kind of taken that word and made it his bitch. Number three: Just to be fucking clear, the Antwoord is not homophobic… Number four: It comes across to us that some people from America are heavy sensitive about the use of certain words. But the thing is, what you need to understand is, we’re not from America. We’re from South Africa. And South Africa people aren’t so pumped up about these words. Regardless of the group’s rationale, Visser’s post is an all-around terrible thing to do. The only bright side I can think of is that, as someone who never liked Die Antwoord’s music or bought into their shtick, maybe now they’ll disappear from pop culture. [Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images.]For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 10,000 pieces, we're asking for £2.95 per month or £25 per year.

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