The album was originally poised to be titled We Have Candy after the single of the same name, setting the tone in full force with “He likes his coffee black like his soul.” Cars racing by, bottles popping, ominous piano tones, and moments of natural dialogue offer a respite from the slinging verse. And after Ninja confirmed there is zero separation between their music career and daily lives, the abundance of skits in the LP gives us even more insight into the minds of Die Antwoord. Even DJ Hi-Tek himself has become God after working with “THE BLACK GOAT,” aka DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill. Now, Die Antwoord has continued the trek in towards the enlightenment atop Mount Ninji, resulting in a revised Ninja and an even more ethereal Yolandi.
TEN$ION further solidified the group’s unrestrained approach to making music, and we slowly began to see an evolution in their personalities, style, and songwriting in the work of Donker Mag. The evolution of our beloved characters has been an epic odyssey since the first beats of $O$ found their way into our ears so many years ago. Well, not so much a reinvention as an evolution, but still, Mount Ninji and Da Nice Time Kid is by far the most palatable LP we’ve heard from the South African rap/rave group.
