This week I’m reviewing the South African Rap Rave Die Antwoord’s 2009 album $O$ which was originally released for free by the group. They made a big splash on the internet with Enter the Ninja.
Artist: Die Antwoord {Ninja (volcals), Yolandi Visser (volcals), DJ Hi-Tek (beats)}
Album: $O$
Year: 2009
Genre: Rap Rave
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Worth Your Time? Yes
Twitter Review: $O$ sounds unique to US listeners. Ninja and Yolandi are an exciting MC duo that complement each other nicely. Plus their videos are insane.
Top 3 Tracks:
Things to Look For:
- Ninja’s laid back lyrical delivery on Wat Kyk Jy and other tracks like $copie.
- Three Spoken Languages Intermixed: English, Afrikaans and Xhosa. Wie Maak Die Jol Vol is a great example of this.
- The ‘did he just say what I think he said’ moments of Orinoco Ninja Flow (Wedding DJs Mix) as Ninja raps over an Enya.
Low Points: When the songs slow down, Die Antwoord isn’t nearly as compelling most of the time. I definitely enjoy the upbeat tracks on the album more.
Anything Else: Check out their videos on YouTube. They are just as interesting visually as they are lyrically. Not seeing them is really only getting half of the experience.
Additional Links:
Project Lt. Morning 