For your
listening pleasure.
Die Antwoord is a South African hip-hop "trio" characterized
by depraved sexuality and violence, bizarrely dressed backup dancers, an imaginary DJ played by a rotating cast, Yolandi freaking us the fuck out with her jet black contacts, and
just general edginess. The group is closely aligned with “zef” culture, which
is basically the equivalent of thugs in South Africa, if thugs were ricers, and
originally white. Zef started as a term for white working class owners of Ford
Zephyrs. Yeah, I’m serious. Basically, they spent all their money on souping up
these Zephyrs and buying chains and grills. It got to the point where an entire
subculture was contained within the phrase “Zephyr owner,” at which point the
term was shortened to zef.
Both Yolandi and Ninja (the guy that looks sort of like a Klingon
with a flat top) have stated that zef’s meaning has been expanded to include
all South Africans that “…literally don't care what anyone else thinks...”
Die Antwoord sells
themselves as a rather progressive force, encouraging a transition away from
racism (among other things) with their shocking imagery.
"People
are unconscious and you have to use your art as a shock machine to wake them up.”
-Ninja
Well, I’m not actually completely sure what they’re trying
to wake people up to. I would have to guess some sort of future society where
everyone is totally chill with one another but also likes gory and sexualized music videos. And you know what? I’m totally on board with
that.
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