Enter Ninja, a South African MC who, along with Yo-landi Vi$$er and DJ Hi-Tek, comprise Die Antwoord.
Ninja is one of the more curious guys I’ve seen up-and-coming for a while. His work is obviously in the realm of what most of us would consider hipster, for its absurdity suggests that it should be taken ironically. To Ninja, however, it’s not. He’s serious that he has “you know, some serious gangster skill on the mark”, and these guys embrace what would immediately be looked upon as ridiculous and trumpet it as the best thing since sliced bread; that’s certainly something not to be overlooked.
I’ll admit, there’s nothing groundbreaking about “Enter the Ninja”, but there’s a ton that is just damn interesting. For one thing, the hook is addicting beyond belief (try and not get it stuck in your head - I dare you). Also, you cannot deny that Ninja is just awesome to listen to, and while his accent is sometimes incomprehensible (if he’s speaking English at all), his flow is undeniably unique and he spits with a fervor that echoes the intensity of Eminem and K’naan.
Summary: Die Antwoord is, if nothing else, at least worth a look and, depending on how you feel, maybe a laugh. The video I’ve posted above is the official music video for their track “Enter the Ninja”. Really cool visually and really addicting musically. Be sure to check out the impromptu interview and short-form-video for their track “Zef Side” as well - that thing’s ridiculous.
Mike Posner (and his FREE MUSIC)
via Mike Posner’s MySpace:
”Mike Posner & the Brain Trust is one of the most highly anticipated new groups of 2009. Twenty-one year-old Mike Posner of Southfield, Michigan, first surfaced as a vocalist at the age of seventeen when he was featured several times on Detroit’s 102.7 FM. As the brainchild behind some of Big Sean’s (Island Def Jam/GOOD) best tracks, Posner has proved himself to be a talented producer. Mike and his live band, the Brain Trust, have developed a unique and refreshing sound somewhere between the realms of pop and hip-hop. On March 1st 2009, Mike released his first mixtape, A Matter of Time, with DJ Benzi and Don Cannon and has since received critical acclaim and attention from every major record label. Now a junior at Duke University, Mike is recording his debut album, The New Deal.”
Whatever. That being said, Posner’s got potential. He’s found himself a comfortable niche among these new breeds of hip-hop, power pop, remix, and electro that have emerged in recent days. His covers (like this awesome one of Beyonce’s “Halo”) aren’t really covers considering how much he fuses himself into someone else’s work. At the same time, though, they’re not remixes either, because he doesn’t sample the original. He makes a cover sound like an original, a pretty special skill.
Samples do come into play in Posner’s original work; he’s created fun hip-hop pieces with a slightly more electro feel and a much greater emphasis on instrumentation than most are used to. It’s dancey club music that isn’t obnoxious, which is certainly a breath of fresh air.
On top of all of this, Posner knows how to market himself. Basically, with his new mixtape, he pulled a Radiohead, but took the whole thing one step further. POSNER’S MUSIC IS AVAILABLE FOR FREE ON ITUNES! Follow the link and find out for yourself.
TrinityHipHop.org 
Follow the link to register for this weekend’s festivities!
K’naan - Dreamer
He’s set to play vernon social center Saturday night
K’naan, Game Rebellion to headline Trinity Hip Hop Festival
Schedule
Friday, April 3, 2009
10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. - Islam, Hip Hop and Gender - Poetic Pilgrimage (Life Sciences Center/LSC, Room 132)
11:00 a.m. - 11:50 a.m. - Hip Hop in China: Looking for A Hip Hop Hero (session 1) - Angela Steele (Life Sciences Center/LSC, Room 137)
12:00 a.m. - 12:50 a.m. - Hip Hop in China: Looking for A Hip Hop Hero (session 2) - Angela Steele (Life Sciences Center/LSC, Room 137)
5 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Opening Remarks - Trinity College President Jimmy F. Jones, Jr. (Cinestudios)
5:20 p.m. - 6:20 p.m. Film screening: FangAfrika: Voice of the Voiceless (Cinestudios)
6:20 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. FangAfrika panel featuring Baay Musa, Guillaume Mouille, Renaud Lioult, Magee McIlvaine. Moderator: Ben Herson (Cinestudios)
7:00 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. Hip Hop, Politics, and Freedom of Speech in Zimbabwe - Comrade Fatso and Outspoken (Austin Arts 320)
9:00 p.m. - 12:45 a.m. Concert featuring Game Rebellion (Brooklyn), African Underground All-Stars (Baay Musa, Hired Gun and Self-Suffice), Comrade Fatso and Chabvondoka (Zimbabwe), Outspoken and The Essence (Zimbabwe), Princess of Controversy (Washington, DC) and Mr. Reo (Haiti). (Vernon Social Hall)
12:45 a.m. - 3:00 a.m. Afterparty hosted by Hot 93.7’s DJ Craig G (Vernon Social Hall)
Saturday, April 4, 2009
10:30 a.m. - all day Graffiti Mural/Body Painting (The Cave Patio)
11:00 a.m. - 5 p.m. Festival registration (The Cave Patio)
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Beatboxing Workshop - BeatBurgerBand (The Cave Patio)
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Freestyle Rhyming Workshop - Hired Gun (The Cave Patio)
1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Live DJs featuring DJ Sybiro (Russia), Prez (France) and Stansmith (France)
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Panel Discussion: Stereotypes in Hip Hop - Emily Musil, Gail Woldu, Nicholas Conway (Washington Room, Mather Hall)
2:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Film screening: Planet B-Boy (Washington Room, Mather Hall)
4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. B-Boy/B-Girl Battle with DJ Boo (The Cave Patio)
9:00 pm - 12:45 a.m. Concert featuring K’naan (Somalia), Blitz the Ambassador (Ghana), Poetic Pilgrimage (UK), Zee Santiago (Brooklyn), BeatBurgerBand (Czech Republic), Mohammed YahYa (UK/Mozambique)
12:45 a.m. - 2 a.m. Afterparty hosted by DJ Boo
