Die Antwoord: “Playing Shows In South Africa Is Like Doing Tricks For Retarded Children”

The Lollapalooza music festival took place in Chicago over the weekend. And like pretty much every other major music festival around the globe recently, Die Antwoord played there. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly they explained why they don’t prefer to do gigs in South Africa. As it turns out, Ninja & Yolandi does not seem to care much for South Africans in general.

According to the notorious two, South Africa is “pretty fucking retarded” and the majority of its citizens are “insecure”. Also, performing to South Africans is “like doing magic tricks for retarded children.”

When asked how their American fan base differed from their South African fan base, here is how they responded:

Yo-Landi: South Africa is pretty fucking retarded.

Ninja: There’s two sides to South Africa. Our experience in South Africa is there’s a minority group that are in tune with us, but for the rest of South Africa, we’re quite notorious. South Africa is amazing on a certain level, because it’s very innocent and naive like us. In South Africa, the epicenter is dysfunctional, it’s chaotic, it’s corrupt, there’s a lot of problems with it. When we get exposed to the good stuff from overseas, it’s like, ‘Oh my God,’ it’s like this rich treat. But then the downside in South Africa is when someone does well in general, if it’s not for rugby or something very commercial, like safe and acceptable, everyone gets pissed off that you’re doing good at something, that you’re standing out. It’s very small-time thinking. There’s a thing called crab in the bucket. It’s a syndrome. When one crab tries to get out of the bucket, the rest of the crabs kill it and pull it down. We get that a lot in South Africa. But we love it there and will never leave.

The reporter then asked them if South Africans thought Die Antwoord does not represent the country in a good light.

Ninja: They’re just insecure. The majority of South Africa is insecure. The minority who relates to us? They don’t give a fuck. It’s a combination. South Africa is made up of people who don’t give a fuck, and a majority that’s insecure. The insecure people don’t really exist. Yo-Landi broke it down really sweet. She’s like, ‘Sometimes doing shows in South Africa, it’s a yin yang thing. On one side you get like a fighter, warrior group of South Africans who are proud, it’s like this fierce pride thing. And on the flipside, it’s like doing magic tricks for retarded children.

Yo-Landi: They don’t know what they see.

Ninja: They don’t know what’s going on. But you cant be angry with them because they’re a little bit retarded. You’re just nice and carry on. Maybe you can help them understand reality better one day. It’s just kind of funny.

As a South African who has spent money on buying their music, concert tickets, t-shirts, or any other related items (essentially making you their business client), how does this make you feel? Would you still spend your money on them in future, knowing how little they actually thought of you?

The rest of the interview can be read here.

[Thanks, Deon!]

phatz

Not a great thing to hear but would still go watch them at the right price
E

Whether they like it or not, they have helped put South Africa on the map and this is not just on the musical scene. As ambassadors for an entire country I would thus have hoped that they wouldn’t display so much negativity. If you don’t have anything good to say about the country we all love, shut up.
http://gevaaalik.com/ Stix

Hey Deon, I find the fact that you are not acknowledging the fact they they said they have a small group of avid supporters in SA very provoking.

“As a South African who has spent money on buying their music, concert tickets, t-shirts, or any other related items (essentially making you their business client), how does this make you feel? Would you still spend your money on them in future, knowing how little they actually thought of you?”

What if you are part of the “minority group that are in tune with” Die Antwoord? I see what you are trying to do here, get more views on your blog post by making Die Antwoord the bad guys. You have to be careful or you might become one of the “retards” they do magic tricks for.
Frans

Spot on! They have hit the nail on the head.
meh

it’s true, we are a fucking retarded nation. isolation at the arse end of the planet will do that you. I find them entertaining, but have never heard of anyone buying their music or merchandise. their best work is online for free. the americans love them because they are different and hence throw money at them. SA not so much…
Christian

Since you asked me the question; It doesn’t change at all how I feel about Die Antwoord. They are entertaining and you either like them or not. I like them and I would continue to spend money on them.
And probably, they do actually have a point here. Sometimes, I am one of those retards as I do not always understand where their tracks are supposed to lead me to…
I would also not say that we are extremely open minded to any kind of art in South Africa. I mean, surely the Goodman gallery and Brett Murray would probably share Die Antwoord’s opinion about the general perception of art in South Africa… And they are, whether you Steyn Du Toit like it or not, artists.
Mike

Saw them play at a Summer Festival outside Joburg. They sucked balls. Was really surprised, kind of anticipated an explosive set but ended up being super ‘meh’. I like their music, some of its pretty catchy, but their live show sucked goats balls.
Li

To me, the point here is that they are calling people who do not listen to their music retarded. They say that the majority of South Africans don’t like it because they don’t understand it. Since when does not liking a certain band or genre of music make you a retard? Disrespectful and vain. I just sincerely hope that they will still have fans once Die Antwoord has had it’s day. They’ll probably have to come back home and perform to these retards who don’t understand their music.
J0K3R

what they don’t realise is that they are the retards doing tricks on stage for the Americans
the truth

They are superbly packaged, unauthentic and their music is less than ordinary. But in a time when Paris Hilton and the likes get more airtime than the most talented of our generation it does not shock. I was one of 20 people that happened to see them in Durban. 65 000 people turned up for the Stones in Durban. Thats how you know.
Justus

their music sounds like 2Unlimimted or Technoronic, and it wasn’t cool even back then . Go F@ck yourself Waddy Jones for making up another silly little rapper persona.
Kevin

I’m a South African, I was at Lollapalooza this last weekend, as I have been for a few years. and I’ll give them credit they put on a show and had a crowd. When it comes to America, they really have an abundance of music … before and after Die Antwoord, there were 20 acts who will be remembered many years from now. Check the website.
The Americans love them, but not many can admit that without a smile or giggle or a laugh or a question if i actually understand all the lyrics. It’s a freakshow and when you have an abundance of real talent on your doorstep twice a week, then there will be a short term audience. What’s the long term?
scruff304

Didn’t care for them or their music before, and couldn’t be bothered bout it after. If not enjoying their music means I’m “insecure” and “retarded” then so be it. I am just curious to see what will become of them and if the South African public is welcoming of them, once this little fad fizzles out…
meh

you can take solace in the fact that, once Die Antwoord is over, he’ll be stuck with hand drawn prison tattoos all over his body. The “Pretty Wise” on his neck is going to be pretty stupid in 5 years time…
Greg Smith

You have to be a PRETTY WISE Ninja retard to understand why the don’t want to perform here…perhaps it has something to do with the fact that few people would attend think MAX NORMAL, Waddy etc.
Sandy

I think it’s funny that they call South Africans insecure,
yet those who don’t like their music are like “retarded children”.
I don’t think we should take them too seriously though – although they would probably
disagree.

But
as a band I enjoy their music videos, they put on a slick live show – as for
the actual music, on the whole I preferred the earlier incarnation of
Max Normal.
E

The world is full of one hit wonders. Probably to their disgust I would compare them to LMFAO.
BlindNation

Seriously people, the whole idea behind “Die Antwoord” is to take the piss and get a reaction from people. Thats what they just did with you lot. If you like them well continue to listen to them and support them, if not, there is always an off switch.
thecouldntcareless

It’s true! Like they said – the MAJORITY of people are retarded , because if you do something different and against the grain you are wrong or anti south african , it’s always the same old safe boring crap that south africans feel comfortable with!
dopey

as always, american’s don’t understand irony

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