Robby Reviews Mount Ninji and Da Nice Time Kid
Awwww yeah. Last week Die Antwoord’s new album entitled Mount Ninji and Da Nice Time Kid came out. My anticipation for it was pretty great. Their last album, Donker Mag, to me, was…good, not great. The concept was cool, but I didn’t find myself listening to it much. Their first two albums, $O$ and Ten$ion, were awesome. I ate those up. While Donker Mag went into these slower, quieter songs, Mount Ninji brings back the rap rave that was much more present on their first two efforts, but it’s still sounds new. it hasn’t even been out a week yet, so I feel like it’s too early to say this, but this might be my favorite Die Antwoord album.
Let’s take this track by track.
- “We Have Candy”
This was released as a single a few weeks ago, and I loved it. It epitomizes what I said about these songs sounding new. To my recollection, they’ve never recorded a song like this. There’s some rap in there, but it has this bizarre chorus. It’s about drinking coffee. Come on. - “Daddy”
Probably my favorite song on the album, it has that Ten$ion vibe, but it’s super Yolandi-heavy and has a groove that I don’t think any of their other songs have. Very catchy. - “Banana Brain”
Coming off of “Daddy,” this track keeps the pace going. It’s ravey as eff and would have sounded at home on Tension. Watch the video. It’s cool. - “Shit Just Got Real”
Less rap rave and more just straight rap, this song features Sen Dog from Cypress Hill. It’s a slower, enjoyable, more chill out piece. - “Gucci Coochie”
A couple months ago, Die Antwoord released a mixtape called Suck On This, and a slightly different version of “Gucci Coochie” was on it. Those rave synths are here. It was cool then, and it was cool now. Dita Von Teese lent her vocals to it for some reason. - “Wings On My Penis”
I enjoy this song more than I should. It’s probably supposed to be meant as a sort of throwaway skit kind of thing, but I like listening to it a lot. It’s this short rap bit with vocals from Lil Tommy Terror. He is a young boy who wants wings on his penis. Yep. - “U Like Boobies?”
Now this track actually is a skit. It’s a humorous exchange between Yolandi and Lil Tommy Terror. As he vocalizes on the previous and the subsequent track, it’s cool to have this skit at this point in the album. Oh, yeah, I listen to albums. Like, start to finish, by the way. That might be worth mentioning. - “Rats Rule”
I’d put this song up there with “We Have Candy.” It’s just kind of weird, but enjoyably so. Jack Black sings on it too, so that might be cool if you like him. - “Jonah Hill”
This one is sort of like “Wings On My Penis,” in that it has music in it and whatever, but it’s short and sort of silly. It ends in a discussion between Ninja and Yolandi. Yolandi thinks a particular line sounds “gay,” and Ninja is trying to defend himself. - “Stoopid Rich”
This is one of the few songs on Mount Ninji that I tend to skip. It reminds me of the later tracks on the Donker Mag album. It’s slow and plodding and kind of sad. Hm. - “Fat Faded Fuck Face”
I’m not one to need to dance to songs or whatever, but I’m not sure what kind of mood you have to be in to want this song. Again, it sounds like it could have been on Donker Mag. - “Peanutbutter+Jelly”
I get an $O$ vibe from this song. Ninja spits rhymes over a fun little beat. - “Alien”
I’m not sure why, but I like this song a lot. It’s a little sad and gentle, and it’s what I felt was missing on Donker Mag. - “Street Lights”
Man, this tune affects me for some reason. I don’t know if it’s the spooky synths, the lyrics, Ninja’s vocals during the chorus, or what. I think he was channeling Eminem a little bit, and it works. Can we go back in time and put a few of these songs on Donker Mag? - “Darkling”
This one is yet another dirgey piece, but what makes this one stand out is that it is sung by Sixteen, Ninja and Yolandi’s daughter. Given the lyrics, it’s pretty interesting. I don’t know how autobiographical it is. Hm. - “I Don’t Care”
No naughty words. No rapping. What? Yes, that’s what this is. It’s awesome, and it’s a love song. Get out of town.
Die Antwoord isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve liked anything they’ve done before, you have to like this. Like I said up top, they break some new ground while also retaining elements of what some people (myself included) think make them cool. If I were you, I would buy this album. If you were me, you would have bought two copies of it! To be honest, the second time was a mistake, but I don’t regret it. That’s how much I like it.
Oh. And they’re also doing a US tour right now. Go catch them if you can. Yours truly is going to see them in Indianapolis. Boom.