5 (Die Antwoord EP)
Encyclopedia
5 is an EP
by South Africa
n hip hop group, Die Antwoord
. The EP was the first official release by Die Antwoord on a major record label, Cherrytree Records
(an imprint of Interscope Records
). It followed up on internet circulation of the album $O$ and the viral
"Enter the Ninja" music video, which featured on a number of high-traffic blog
sites, most notably BoingBoing. The song incorporates elements of Smile.dk
's song Butterfly
, famous for appearing in the Dance Dance Revolution
series. The EP features some previously released material, as well as one new track and a remix. 'Fish Paste' was released as a promo single. Pitchfork Media
made the entire EP available to stream on June 12, 2010.
magazine noted the use of both Afrikaans
and English
in Ninja
's lyrics, whilst also mentioning the problem this presents for people not used to his strong South African accent, but ultimately concluded that "Die Antwoord don't dispense with rap clichés – they give them a new accent that's both disorienting and thrilling".
Consequence of Sound
noted the fusion of hip-hop with rave
, and also mentioned the presence of lyrics in Afrikaans. The generally positive review concluded that 5 was "a fantastic prelude to a debut; the perfect thing to get you primed for their upcoming debut, $O$
.", and that the EP was "a breath of fresh air and the perfect introduction to the South Africans, Die Antwoord".
A review by online music retailer Insound
noted that whilst the rerelease of some tracks from the initial internet release of $O$ might mute the impact of the EP, it was perhaps better that some of the hype regarding the band had died down, allowing the music to be judged on its own merits. The review concluded that 'Enter the Ninja' was 'still as infectious, fascinating, witty and beautifully trashy as ever', noting 'Wat Kyk Jy?' and 'Fish Paste' as other standouts, and observing the fusion of musical styles in a similar manner to the Consequence of Sound review ('an odd blend of rave and 90's euro-pop').
"Enter The Ninja" debuted at #37 in the UK Music Charts on September 19, 2010.
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
by South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n hip hop group, Die Antwoord
Die Antwoord
Die Antwoord is a hip hop group from Cape Town, South Africa, consisting of three members: Ninja, Yo-Landi Vi$$er and DJ Hi-Tek.-Background:...
. The EP was the first official release by Die Antwoord on a major record label, Cherrytree Records
Cherrytree Records
Cherrytree Records is an American record label and is an imprint of Interscope Records.-History:Cherrytree Records was founded in 2005 by Martin Kierszenbaum, being German for cherry tree...
(an imprint of Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
). It followed up on internet circulation of the album $O$ and the viral
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
"Enter the Ninja" music video, which featured on a number of high-traffic blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
sites, most notably BoingBoing. The song incorporates elements of Smile.dk
Smile.dk
Smile.dk is a Swedish bubblegum dance group with Veronica Almqvist and Cecilia Reiskog as the current members. The band is well-known around the world partly due to their many songs in Dance Dance Revolution, including "Butterfly", "Golden Sky", "Boys", "Mr...
's song Butterfly
Butterfly (Smile.dk song)
"Butterfly" is one of Smile.dk's most popular songs and featured on their 1998 album Smile.The song gained popularity outside of Sweden when it was included on the first version of Konami's music video game, Dance Dance Revolution and Dance Dance Revolution 3rdMix...
, famous for appearing in the Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution, abbreviated DDR, and previously known as Dancing Stage in Europe and Australasia, is a music video game series produced by Konami. Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, Dance Dance Revolution is the...
series. The EP features some previously released material, as well as one new track and a remix. 'Fish Paste' was released as a promo single. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
made the entire EP available to stream on June 12, 2010.
Reception
Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine noted the use of both Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in Ninja
Watkin Tudor Jones
Watkin Tudor Jones , currently known by his stage name Ninja, is a South African rapper, record producer, performance artist and satirist...
's lyrics, whilst also mentioning the problem this presents for people not used to his strong South African accent, but ultimately concluded that "Die Antwoord don't dispense with rap clichés – they give them a new accent that's both disorienting and thrilling".
Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound, also known often as CoS, is a Chicago-based music website featuring news, album and concert reviews, and editorials. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook micro-site, which serves as an on-line database for music festival news and rumors...
noted the fusion of hip-hop with rave
Rave music
Rave music may either refer the late 1980s genre or any genre of electronic dance music that may be played at an electronic dance party such as a rave. Very rarely, the term is used to refer to less electronic related genres glam, powerpop, psychedelic rock and dub music parties...
, and also mentioned the presence of lyrics in Afrikaans. The generally positive review concluded that 5 was "a fantastic prelude to a debut; the perfect thing to get you primed for their upcoming debut, $O$
$O$
-Physical Re-release on Cherrytree Records:-Re-release on Rhythm Records:...
.", and that the EP was "a breath of fresh air and the perfect introduction to the South Africans, Die Antwoord".
A review by online music retailer Insound
Insound
Insound is an online CD, vinyl, digital, and music related merchandise retailer that focuses primarily on the sale of indie rock and music from other similar genres. The company is located in Greenpoint in Brooklyn, New York.- History :...
noted that whilst the rerelease of some tracks from the initial internet release of $O$ might mute the impact of the EP, it was perhaps better that some of the hype regarding the band had died down, allowing the music to be judged on its own merits. The review concluded that 'Enter the Ninja' was 'still as infectious, fascinating, witty and beautifully trashy as ever', noting 'Wat Kyk Jy?' and 'Fish Paste' as other standouts, and observing the fusion of musical styles in a similar manner to the Consequence of Sound review ('an odd blend of rave and 90's euro-pop').
"Enter The Ninja" debuted at #37 in the UK Music Charts on September 19, 2010.
Track listing
| # | Title | Time | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Enter the Ninja" | 5:05 | DJ Hi-Tek |
| 2 | "Wat Kyk Jy?" | 4:36 | DJ Hi-Tek |
| 3 | "I Don't Need You" | 3:57 | DJ Hi-Tek |
| 4 | "Fish Paste" | 4:17 | DJ Hi-Tek |
| 5 | "Enter the Ninja (DJ Fishsticks Remix)" | 3:21 | DJ Fishsticks |