Ten$ion

This post is probably by far the weirdest collection of material I have in my current collection. There's really no way to describe this odd mix of Alt Hip-Hop/Performance Art other than to just show proof. So in essence I will try and describe the phenomenon that is Die Antwoord.

So some background first. I found out about Die Antwoord via the old G4 TV show Attack Of The Show. Somewhere in time they showed a clip of the band, a little ditty entitled 'Zef Side'. Upon viewing it was an instant wtf moment. At that point the band was starting to make noise stateside with their debut '$o$'. It became kinda of cult thing and now the thing has spiraled into a few album and tours. So Die Antwoord, what's it about. First of the name loosely translates out to The Answer in Afrikaans. Formed in South Africa, the band consists of Ninja, Yolandi Visser and DJ Hi-Tek. At best you could categorize the music as a blend of South African rap, Zef, American Hip-Hop and Performance Art. Frequently asked by critics if the band is real or some elaborate hoax, the band defines the act as "documentary fiction". The band also incorporates the Zef style and sings in Afrikaans, Xhosa, and English. The band gained a cult following stateside due in part to their crazy and wildly innovative videos. See the preview for proof. While the band has issued out three albums to date, we'll focus on the second album, 'Ten$ion' from 2012.

'Ten$ion' picks up and continues where the first album left off. This time around incorporated moire next level beats and crazier videos. The album is a weird mesh of music and raps. I really don't know how else to describe it. Grab the record, see for yourself and prepare for nightmares.

Preview

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