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Cape Town - "God made a mistake with me. I'm actually black, trapped in a white body," said Ninja.
Die Antwoord's Ninja, also known as Watkin Tudor Jones, spoke from Chicago in the USA about the group's infectious nature, Afrikaans and Kurt Darren.
Jones has never been one to hold his tongue, and refers to himself as a "white kaffir" in the group's new song Never le Nkemise, off of their latest album, Ten$ion.
After appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman and at New York Fashion Week, Ninja says Americans have taken to the SA zef rappers like a duck to water.
"The people are going fucking crazy.
"They tattoo themselves like us, they dress like us and they cut their hair like ours. And all the Americans rap in Afrikaans. It's crazy."
Giving Afrikaans a bad name?
Yo-landi Vi$$er is as Afrikaans as they come and although Ninja is a soutie (English speaking person), he is proud of the Afrikaans language and would be insulted if someone accused Die Antwoord of giving Afrikaans a bad name.
"We rebel against all brain-dead, soulless music.
"People started saying Afrikaans is dead. Now we're massive all over the world, millions of kids rap along in Afrikaans.
"If that's a bad thing, don't listen [to our music].
"Apartheid was a Afrikaans thing and it was bad; now we're flipping that shit."
Ninja revealed some of the South African music Die Antwoord listens to.
"Coloured rappers like Scallywag, Isaac Mutant and Jaak Paarl. Snotkop is a dud. I don't know Karen Zoid's music. Kurt Darren is actually a fucking treasure, he's our tjommie (friend). I like Kurt's shit, the rest is just irrelevant."
Jones made a name for himself as various personas on stage and he has never repeated the same persona on an album. Until now. Ninja isn't happy that people say he's a sell-out and that the sudden fame has corrupted him.
"I've always been looking for my true self. And Ninja is it. I've always experimented with different characters. I searched deep within for the real me. Ninja is what I've always wanted to be. Hardcore, indestructible. My mom and my daughter call me Ninja."
Die Antwoord's Ninja, also known as Watkin Tudor Jones, spoke from Chicago in the USA about the group's infectious nature, Afrikaans and Kurt Darren.
Jones has never been one to hold his tongue, and refers to himself as a "white kaffir" in the group's new song Never le Nkemise, off of their latest album, Ten$ion.
After appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman and at New York Fashion Week, Ninja says Americans have taken to the SA zef rappers like a duck to water.
"The people are going fucking crazy.
"They tattoo themselves like us, they dress like us and they cut their hair like ours. And all the Americans rap in Afrikaans. It's crazy."
Giving Afrikaans a bad name?
Yo-landi Vi$$er is as Afrikaans as they come and although Ninja is a soutie (English speaking person), he is proud of the Afrikaans language and would be insulted if someone accused Die Antwoord of giving Afrikaans a bad name.
"We rebel against all brain-dead, soulless music.
"People started saying Afrikaans is dead. Now we're massive all over the world, millions of kids rap along in Afrikaans.
"If that's a bad thing, don't listen [to our music].
"Apartheid was a Afrikaans thing and it was bad; now we're flipping that shit."
Ninja revealed some of the South African music Die Antwoord listens to.
"Coloured rappers like Scallywag, Isaac Mutant and Jaak Paarl. Snotkop is a dud. I don't know Karen Zoid's music. Kurt Darren is actually a fucking treasure, he's our tjommie (friend). I like Kurt's shit, the rest is just irrelevant."
Jones made a name for himself as various personas on stage and he has never repeated the same persona on an album. Until now. Ninja isn't happy that people say he's a sell-out and that the sudden fame has corrupted him.
"I've always been looking for my true self. And Ninja is it. I've always experimented with different characters. I searched deep within for the real me. Ninja is what I've always wanted to be. Hardcore, indestructible. My mom and my daughter call me Ninja."
