Die Antwoord (Afrikaans for "The Answer") is a South African rap-rave group… Read Full Bio ↴Die Antwoord (Afrikaans for "The Answer") is a South African rap-rave group formed in Cape Town in 2008. The group was formed by rappers Ninja and Yolandi Visser (stylized as ¥O-LANDI VI$$ER), and God (formerly referred to as DJ Hi-Tek). Die Antwoord's image is based on a counterculture movement known as zef in South Africa.

SO WHAT?
Die Antwoord Lyrics

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Yo Hi-Tek, let's fuck around with some of that feel good gansta shit.

Been rapping for 20 fucking years.
A whole lot of fucking blood sweat and tears.
Who cares they dont give a fuck.
On the mic I'm taking no prisoners (?)

Check me out yo.

So what if I'm only coming in the game?
So what I'm in it for the cash, money and the fame?
So what if ... is fucking up your brain?
Yo-Landi Visser is the shit up in this bitch.

I rap for 20 years, never made a cent.
Borrowed money from my mom to pay the rent.
Now how I'm gonna get out this fucking mess?
Yolandi shows me two fucking stripes on the piss test.
Oh fuck, broke ass Ninja gonna be a daddy.
Little baby Ninja gonna need some nappies.
Gave it my best shot, never pressed stop
Thank god die moederfokeen Antwoord went pop.

Got a million fucking dollars in the bank
Then I converted all my dollars into rands
That equalled sever million rands in the bank
Not too shitty, fuck you Jimmy, Imma never give it back.
Not worry Ninja, I'm gonna make you proud.
I'm here to work, I'm not here to fuck around. (is ja)
I'm your very special cherry at the top
Imma keep it very fucking hot and I'm never coming down

Been rapping for 20 fucking years.
A whole lot of fucking blood sweat and tears.
Who cares they dont give a fuck.
On the mic I'm taking no prisoners (?)

Kykie
So what I fly around the whole world getting paid?
So what I smoke weed all day every day?
So what I tell truth even when I tell lies (?)
I get very red in the eye when I'm getting high

I got a record deal in the overseas
So we started there I couldnt go to sleep
... sold my sold there for a fee
When they dropped the album everyone downloaded it for free

In the overseas they think I'm the shizzle
In South Africa they think I'm a criminal
(Little girl show me your ID)
I don't like the drugs but the drugs sure like me!

Ninja fuckin' ugly on the skin
But Ninja very lovely from within
I'm serious bro I just need a bit of fun
So Ninja likes a girl who lets him stick his penis up her bum

Ek gooi 'n fokken 2-7 in die lug
Ek slat jou met my fokken piel in jou gesig
I'm the fuckin ultimate I can't lose
Klap 'n vet moderfokken zol nou's ek confused

Been rapping for 20 fucking years.
A whole lot of fucking blood sweat and tears.
Who cares they dont give a fuck.
On the mic I'm taking no prisoners (?)

So what my school teachers tell me I would never hack it

So what I'm like a full-blown marijuana addict?
So what I'm like the freshest fuckin rapper on the planet?

Overall Meaning

The Die Antwoord track, "So What?" is a shameless display of self-assuredness and defiance. The group is known for its bold and aggressive style, and this song keeps that trend going. The lyrics are confident and outspoken about their past and present struggles of the band members. They exhibit the grind of the rap game, making it clear that they have been putting everything they have into their music for over two decades. While some people may criticize their lack of success or motivation, they genuinely do not care about the naysayers.

In the first few bars, Die Antwoord declares their willingness to try out some "feel good gangsta shit," as they describe their lifelong pursuit of music. They also assert that they are "taking no prisoners," meaning they will not get caught up in getting emotional over people's criticisms. The chorus underscores that Die Antwoord is only concerned with their own creative output, assuring their fans that they will remain steady in the face of life's obstacles.

"So What?" also serves as an introspective piece, as the rappers reflect on their past struggles as artists. They share that for the majority of their career, they were grinding away but were unable to achieve any success. But now, they are sharing their experiences with the world, while also being open about their frequent drug use. In the end, the song's overall message comes down to the fact that as much as anyone else might try, Die Antwoord is not going anywhere, and they will continue to produce their type of music with as much vigor as they have in the past.

Line by Line Meaning

Yo Hi-Tek, let's fuck around with some of that feel good gansta shit.
Let's make some music in the feel good gangsta genre.

Been rapping for 20 fucking years.
I have been rapping for 20 years.

A whole lot of fucking blood sweat and tears.
I have put in a lot of hard work and effort over the years.

Who cares they dont give a fuck.
No one cares about my struggles or how much work I've put into my career.

On the mic I'm taking no prisoners (?).
I am delivering powerful and fearless performances on the microphone.

So what if I'm only coming in the game?
What does it matter if I am just now entering the music industry?

So what I'm in it for the cash, money and the fame?
What if my motivations for pursuing music are financial gain and fame?

So what if ... is fucking up your brain?
What if my music content is not to your liking?

Yo-Landi Visser is the shit up in this bitch.
Yo-Landi Visser is a great performer and artist.

I rap for 20 years, never made a cent.
I have been rapping for 20 years without making any money.

Borrowed money from my mom to pay the rent.
I had to borrow money from my mother to make ends meet.

Now how I'm gonna get out this fucking mess?
How am I going to get out of this financial situation?

Yolandi shows me two fucking stripes on the piss test.
Yolandi is pregnant.

Oh fuck, broke ass Ninja gonna be a daddy.
Oh no, I am going to be a father even though I am broke.

Little baby Ninja gonna need some nappies.
Our baby is going to need diapers.

Gave it my best shot, never pressed stop.
I have always given my best effort and never given up on my dreams.

Thank god die moederfokeen Antwoord went pop.
Thanks to our success in pop music, we have made money to support ourselves.

Got a million fucking dollars in the bank
I have a lot of money in my bank account.

Then I converted all my dollars into rands
I converted my dollars (currency) into rands (South African currency).

That equalled sever million rands in the bank
I ended up with millions of rands in my bank account.

Not too shitty, fuck you Jimmy, Imma never give it back.
I am happy about my riches and refuse to give it back to anyone who thinks otherwise.

Not worry Ninja, I'm gonna make you proud.
Don't worry, I am going to make you proud.

I'm here to work, I'm not here to fuck around. (is ja)
I am here to work and take my career seriously.

I'm your very special cherry at the top
I am a unique and special artist.

Imma keep it very fucking hot and I'm never coming down
I will continue to deliver high-energy performances and remain successful.

Kykie
A colloquial greeting used in South Africa.

So what I fly around the whole world getting paid?
What if I travel worldwide and get paid for it?

So what I smoke weed all day every day?
What if I smoke weed regularly?

So what I tell truth even when I tell lies (?)
What if sometimes I tell the truth even when I am lying?

I get very red in the eye when I'm getting high
My eyes turn red when I smoke weed.

I got a record deal in the overseas
I signed a record deal outside my country of origin.

So we started there I couldnt go to sleep
We began making music there but it caused sleeping problems.

... sold my sold there for a fee
I may have compromised myself for financial gain.

When they dropped the album everyone downloaded it for free
When our album was released, music piracy led to free downloads.

In the overseas they think I'm the shizzle
In other countries, they think I am great.

In South Africa they think I'm a criminal
In my home country, some view me as a criminal or misfit.

(Little girl show me your ID)
This lyric is problematic and controversial due to the implication of soliciting an underage girl's identification.

I don't like the drugs but the drugs sure like me!
I may not like drugs, but they seem to have a hold on me.

Ninja fuckin' ugly on the skin
I may not be conventionally attractive.

But Ninja very lovely from within
But I have an attractive personality.

I'm serious bro I just need a bit of fun
I am serious about my work, but I also need to have fun sometimes.

So Ninja likes a girl who lets him stick his penis up her bum
This lyric is vulgar and controversial due to the explicit content and implications of sexual assault or coercion.

Ek gooi 'n fokken 2-7 in die lug
I throw a 27 (dice roll) into the air.

Ek slat jou met my fokken piel in jou gesig
This vulgar lyric implies sexual assault or aggression.

I'm the fuckin ultimate I can't lose
I am the ultimate (the best) and cannot be defeated.

Klap 'n vet moderfokken zol nou's ek confused
This lyric is vulgar and does not have a clear meaning in English.

So what my school teachers tell me I would never hack it
What if my schoolteachers told me I would never be successful?

So what I'm like a full-blown marijuana addict?
What if I am a heavy user of marijuana?

So what I'm like the freshest fuckin rapper on the planet?
What if I am one of the best and freshest rappers on the planet?

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANRI VISSER, JUSTIN DE NOBREGA, WATKIN JONES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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