Die Antwoord Brings Afrikaans to Hollywood Palladium

Fred Hernandez

Hailing from Cape Town, Die Antwoord have popularized the Afrikaans slang term, “zef”, in the United States and abroad, a culture which is a mix between gaudy, tacky, and fancy fashion styles among the working class. Zef roughly translates to common in English, and has become “associated with people who soup up their cars up and rock gold and shit,” according to band vocalist, Yolandi Visser, who adds: “Zef is you’re poor but you’re fancy. You’re poor but you’re sexy. You’ve got style.” Die Antwoord are proud of their roots and often sing in Afrikaans, Xhosa, and English, three of South Africa’s eleven official languages.

The band, comprised of vocalists Ninja, Yolandi, and DJ Hi-Tek, released their first album, $O$, in 2009, as a free download on their website. The critically acclaimed album most notably spawned “Evil Boy”, a track about a boy who refuses the traditional Xhosa circumcision and thus becomes “evil”. The track caught the ear of Interscope Records representatives, who signed Die Antwoord and re-released $O$. The next year, in 2010, the zef artists played their first international show at Coachella, and went on an international tour in support of their debut LP. Like many uncompromising artists with a strong vision, Die Antwoord quickly left their big label due to pressure to create a more mainstream sound with commercial appeal. The band formed Zef Recordz in 2011, allowing them to stay true to their crystal-clear mission to create futuristic rave rap, and in 2012 they released their sophomore effort, Ten$ion, to mixed reviews.

Although their picturesque personalities might detract some and pigeon hole their conceit as an empty shtick, Die Antwoord claim to want to create an audiovisual experience full of asymmetrical haircuts, grotesque and demonic music video characters, and a penchant for gold and “anything quirky”. Their music videos highlight sadomasochistic culture, colorful costumes, and are often filmed in South Africa. Die Antwoord videos often elicit a range of reactions ranging from surprise, to awe, to disgust. Ninja, Yolandi and DJ Hi-Tek have not only have given the music industry a big middle finger, but they have also proved that musicians and artists can self-release without the help of a big label. Talk about bringing zef to the big leagues.

Die Antwoord will play the Hollywood Palladium on Saturday September 27 at 7:00 pm. Tickets are on sale now.