.
Ten$ion

Die Antwoord

Ten$ion

ZEF
Rolling Stone: star rating
5 2
Community: star rating
February 7, 2012

On their 2010 debut, these South African weirdos occasionally struck a sly balance between Ninja's deranged rhymes, Yo-Landi Vi$$er's evil-sexpot coos and DJ Hi-Tek's slippery rave-rap beats. The novelty runs dry on Die Antwoord's second album, a marathon of overwrought beats and clunky horn-dog-rebel boasts. Ninja's idea of an anti-hip-hop rant involves quoting Vanilla Ice ("I do not want to stop, collaborate or listen," he whines on "Fatty Boom Boom"), and Yo-Landi brags, "Fuck you, Jimmy, I'm-a never give it back," of the million-dollar advance Die Antwoord reportedly got from their ex-boss, Interscope's Jimmy Iovine, who's on to sounder investments these days.

Listen to "Fatty Boom Boom":

Related
Photos: Random Notes

prev
Album Review Main Next

ADD A COMMENT

Community Guidelines »
loading comments

loading comments...

COMMENTS

Sort by:
    Read More

    Music Reviews

    more Reviews »
    Stay Connected

    Sign up to get Rolling Stone's daily newsletter.

    Song Stories

    “Ambling Alp”

    Yeasayer | 2009

    The "Ambling Alp" was the nickname of the six-and-a-half-foot-tall Primo Carnera. Though the song is named after the Italian-born 1930s heavyweight champion, Yeasayer are actually paying tribute to boxing legend Joe Louis with this first-person psychedelic dance-rock tune. “I was always interested in writing a song that had boxing mythology in it,” Yeasayer’s Chris Keating said. “It’s pretty fascinating: There were so many amazing characters, and it was so closely entwined with 20th century history.” Yeaseyer also invokes German champ Max Schmeling and hints at the historical significance placed on the historic bouts between the Nazi-era boxer and the African-American Louis.

    More Song Stories entries »