Botha also appears in the video for “Enter the Ninja,” the song that propelled Die Antwoord to international fame.Īs the curtains drew back, the beginning of the song “Fok Julie Naalers” played over the speakers, with a masked and hooded DJ Hi-Tek popped up from behind the DJ booth. The show began with an extended intro as the curtains displayed a projected image of Leon Botha, the South African artist and hip-hop lover that has progeria, a rare genetic disorder that causes people to age faster than normal.
![enter the ninja music video enter the ninja music video](https://i0.wp.com/shadesofnoir.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/6.jpg)
The anticipatory cheers and chants from the tightly packed crowd demonstrated that Die Antwoord has moved far past its original status as a confusing, occasionally comedic yet always entertaining meme on the “Interwebs,” as front man Ninja called it. Their performance was more a spectacle intended for some sort of shock value than a musical showcase, as androgynous back-up singer Gianna Gianna ripped off a blonde wig and the other members performed what seemed to be pre-rehearsed dances.Īs Blok left the stage and the curtain went down, the excitement level rose. Though a few members of the audience nodded their heads to the music, the Blok band members did little more than strangely contort their bodies and yell incomprehensible lyrics over loud, intense beats blaring from an unmanned laptop. Los Angeles-based Blok opened the show with its loud, overdriven brand of electronic hip-hop.
![enter the ninja music video enter the ninja music video](https://images.genius.com/ce8c46901e61de2de9bee32fce5b5bd0.400x400x1.jpg)
Much debate occurred about the legitimacy of the videos, with many people guessing they were created for some strange viral marketing purpose.Īt the group’s sold-out show at The Music Box in Hollywood on Sunday, all that chaotic and grotesque weirdness was transformed into an energetic live show that was very much real.
![enter the ninja music video enter the ninja music video](https://thedrunkenodyssey.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/eninja3.jpg)
The South African hip-hop/rave hybrid captivated the Internet last year with a couple of strange videos that featured shocking images, strange rapping and ridiculous characters. If Die Antwoord is a joke, then people are falling for it.