Soon, on March 5th, the film Chappie, featuring a robot, will hit Russian theaters, starring the bold members of the South African rap-rave group Die Antwoord. For many, this will be their introduction to these unconventional musicians, while others will be thrilled to see their favorite group members in a Hollywood blockbuster. Below, we take a look at how the group’s most flamboyant member, Yo-Landi Vi$$er (Yolandi Visser), has evolved over the years.
Yolandi, whose real name is Anri du Toit, was born in Port Alfred in 1984. “I was born in the small town of Port Alfred on the east coast of South Africa. I was adopted when I was little. My father was a priest, and my mother never worked. We had a very conservative and well-mannered family. I grew up under strict supervision in a small town, and of course, I rebelled against all that. I grew up listening to artists like Nirvana, Bjork, PJ Harvey, Cypress Hill, Eminem, Nine Inch Nails, and 2 Unlimited. I loved that their music sounded aggressive, loud, fresh, and full of protest. By the way, I also love Celine Dion.”
“After school, I moved to Cape Town to work. There, by pure chance, I met Ninja (aka Watkin Tudor Jones, aka Max Normal, aka MC Totally Rad, aka my husband and the father of our daughter, Sixteen). From that moment, my life changed forever.”
“When Ninja heard a few songs with my voice that I had made in school, he wanted me to join his group, MaxnormalTV. But I was very green and knew nothing about music. Ninja said he would teach me. I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it, but he believed in me, and I agreed. From that day on, we’ve been together.”
