2.1 2008–2010: Formation and release of debut album $O$, 5 and Ekstra.Nonetheless, proof of these allegations have yet to be obtained. In recent years, the group has been involved in many controversies including child abuse, sexual assault, and hate crime. On the other hand, their 2016 album peaked at a higher chart position in nearly every country than their previous 2014 album. One of their earliest songs, "Enter the Ninja", did well in Australia and the UK, while later songs like "Pitbull Terrier" and "Ugly Boy" did well in the US. Their music has been featured on best-selling video games in the Far Cry franchise as well. Their image revolves around the South African counterculture movement known as zef and has incorporated work by other artists associated with the movement, such as photographer Roger Ballen.ĭie Antwoord has had much mainstream success worldwide their albums and singles have charted in the top 50-if not top 10-in countries in Europe and North America, and also Australia.
The group comprises rappers Watkin Tudor "Ninja" Jones and Anri "Yolandi Visser" du Toit, a male/female duo, and producers HITEK5000 and Lil2Hood.
"Evil Boy" was once described by MTV as "the most NSFW video in the history of the medium." As described by Rolling Stone, "Pitbull Terrier" stars Ninja in extremely unsettling hairless dog makeup.
DIE ANTWOORD VIDEOS SKIN
Others have a distinctly magical realism style, like " Ugly Boy," in which Yo-Landi has pure white skin and disturbing black bug eyes, and sits on Ninja's lap on a throne with crow wings. Some videos, like " Cookie Thumper," depict a grimy world dominated by gangs and drugs (in this case being navigated by naïve but rebellious schoolgirl Yo-Landi). Their videos frequently are extreme, disturbing, and inexplicable - which doesn't keep them from being fun and entertaining.
Ninja explained, "People are unconscious and you have to use your art as a shock machine to wake them up." They intend to shock and fascinate with their videos. It's all about changing identities - and authenticity doesn't matter as long as it's exciting. According to them, that's asking the wrong question. They are frequently met with questions about whether or not the band is real, or if they are joking.