Art
die antwoord accuse “suicide squad” director of stealing their style
In an embarrassing and hypocritical rant on Instagram, South African alternative hip-hop collective Die Antwoord (Ninja, Yolandi Visser, and DJ Hi-Tek) accused filmmaker David Ayer (“Suicide Squad”) of “pretendin 2b down” and “jockin” their style for inspiration for “Suicide Squad”’s, most high-profile baddies, The Joker and Harley Quinn.
It should probably be noted that Die Antwoord has made a career off of appropriating black culture, imagery, language, and swag to create their hip-hop sound and aesthetic—specifically taking from the identities of folks from Cape Town’s Cape Flats district.
This isn’t the first time Die Antwoord have attempted to present themselves as prolific exports from South Africa. A few months back, Ninja again took to Instagram to shade local Cape Town creatives who, unlike him, don’t have what it takes to stay relevant: “ALOT of people over the age of 20 (or so) are culturally insecure and unable to present anything artistically that is relevant to the outside world.” Cute.
By Erin White*, AFROPUNK contributor
*Erin White is an Atlanta-based writer and AFROPUNK’s editorial and social media assistant. You can follow her on Tumblr or friend her on Facebook. Have a pitch or an inquiry? Shoot her an email at erin@afropunk.com.
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