Watkin Tudor Jones

Watkin Tudor Jones (born 26 September 1974),[4] better known by his stage names Ninja and Max Normal, is a South African rapper, songwriter, record producer, performance artist, and director. Jones found international success as a member of Die Antwoord, with Yolandi Visser. He was formerly a member of Max Normal and The Constructus Corporation.

Watkin Tudor Jones
Watkin Tudor Jones (Ninja) in 2012
Watkin Tudor Jones (Ninja) in 2012
Background information
Also known as
  • Ninja
  • Max Normal
  • The Man Who Never Came Back
  • MC Totally Rad
  • Yang Weapon
  • Destructo
  • Waddy
  • WAD:e[1]
  • Ninjie[2]
Born (1974-09-26) 26 September 1974
Johannesburg, South Africa
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • actor
  • music video director
Years active1993–present
Labels

Jones also has had a number of acting roles, including a self-styled role as Ninja in the 2015 Neill Blomkamp film Chappie.[5]

Early life

Jones was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1974.

He frequented nightclubs where he would develop his skills as a rapper. He attended Parktown Boys High where he would meet his Original Evergreen band members.[6]

Career

1993–1999: The Original Evergreen

Jones was part of the South African rap band The Original Evergreen, which was signed to Sony Music.[7] He released one single with the group, "Puff the Magik," which was banned from radio for its controversial lyrics about marijuana usage. In 1996, after the track would later win a SAMA music award for Best Rap Album award, he left to release a solo album under Chameleon Records[8] and later form Max Normal. The band released Burn the Evidence in 1997, which caused more notoriety in the South African music scene. In 1998, the band resurfaced in Cape Town with a new lineup featuring Brendon le Roux (Vox), Sebastian Voigt (bass, programming), Richard Bruyns (guitar), Stephen Trollip (saxophone), Phat Jack (turntables), Tasha Baxter (vocals) and Sven Mc Alpine (drums), and played extensively in Cape Town and Johannesburg while working on a new album titled "Addictive Personalities," produced by Warrick Sony (Kalahari Surfers) and featuring a guest appearance by Arno Carstens (Springbok Nude Girls). The album was to be released on the Sheer Sound label. Still, it caused such uproar in the South African press due to the contents of its lyrics that Sheer Sound was forced to withdraw it and was the final chapter in The Original Evergreen story as it resulted in the band splitting up. The album "Addictive Personalities" was released in a limited run by Melt 2000 in 1999.

2001–2002: Memoirs of a Clone and Max Normal

In 2001, Jones released his debut solo album Memoirs of a Clone.[9]

At the time, he was the lead vocalist of Max Normal, a hip hop act, which released their debut album entitled Songs From The Mall in 2001, which he disbanded in 2002.[10] Their last gig was played with Faithless on the group's 2002 South Africa tour.[11]

2002–2003: The Constructus Corporation
Main article: The Constructus Corporation

When Jones disbanded Max Normal in early 2002, he and musician Sibot invited Markus Wormstorm and Felix Laband to collaborate on The Constructus Corporation project, which resulted in the concept album and graphic novel The Ziggurat, released on 3 June 2002.[12]

Jones asked Anri du Toit, better known as his Die Antwoord bandmate Yolandi Visser to lend vocals for the project. She was credited as Anica the Snuffling.[13]

The Constructus Corporation disbanded in 2003.

2005: The Fantastic Kill

In 2005, Jones released his second solo album The Fantastic Kill.[14] It was released in France in 2007 as MC Totally Rad And DJ Fuck Are Fucknrad under the name Fucknrad.[15]

2007–2008: MaxNormal.TV
Main article: MaxNormal.TV

In 2007, Jones resurrected and revamped Max Normal as the 'corporate' hip-hop group "MaxNormal.TV."

The new lineup consisted of Watkin Tudor Jones revising as Max Normal, and Anri du Toit as Yolandi Visser. The band also featured Neon Don playing various recurring characters and Justin De Nobrega making instrumentals.

The group released its debut and only album Good Morning South Africa in 2008.[16] A DVD featuring 13 skits, music videos and short films was released in the same year, titled Goeie More Zuid Afrika.[17]

2008–current: Die Antwoord
Main article: Die Antwoord

Jones is currently a member of the South African rap-rave group Die Antwoord. The group was formed by Jones as Ninja, Anri du Toit as ¥o-Landi Vi$er, and producer Justin De Nobrega as HITEK5000 (formerly referred to as DJ Hi-Tek and God). They have since added a second producer Lil2Hood.[18] Die Antwoord is part of the South African counterculture movement known as Zef.

The band released its debut album $O$ in 2009. It was made freely available online and attracted international attention for their music video "Enter the Ninja". They briefly signed with Interscope Records, and left after pressure from the label to be more generic. du Toit explained that Interscope "kept pushing us to be more generic" to make more money: "If you try to make songs that other people like, your band will always be shit. You always gotta do what you like. If it connects, it's a miracle, but it happened with Die Antwoord.".[19] They formed their own independent label, Zef Recordz and released their second album Ten$ion through it.[20]

They have since released 3 other albums; Donker Mag in 2014,[21] Mount Ninji and da Nice Time Kid in 2016,[22] and "The House of Zef" in 2020. As well as this, Jones played a self-styled role as Ninja in the 2015 Neill Blomkamp film Chappie.[23]

Controversies
Further information: Die Antwoord § Controversies

In March 2019, Australian musician Zheani Sparkes released a diss track titled "The Question" detailing an alleged sexual assault on her by Jones in South Africa in 2013.[24][25]

Italian-American singer Dionna Dal Monte also accused Jones of sexual assault, which she claimed occurred at a Die Antwoord show in 2014.[26]

In 2019, a video from 2012 surfaced, showing Jones and Visser fighting Hercules and Love Affair founder Andy Butler.[27] Jones claimed that the person who filmed the video edited it to make it seem like he and Visser were in the wrong.[28] [29]

In April 2022, adopted son Tokkie (born Gabriel du Preez) accused Jones and Visser of physical and sexual abuse against himself and his younger sister Meisie.[30]

City Press / News24 reported that six of the cast and crew of Chappie confirmed that he had "made life on set hell during filming."[31][32]

In June 2022, American rapper Danny Brown accused Jones of attempted sexual assault against him.[33]

Personal life

Jones' father died in Johannesburg from a fatal shooting during a hijacking in 2000.[34]

Jones has a daughter, Sixteen Jones, born in 2005 from a previous relationship with Die Antwoord bandmate Yolandi Visser.[35] He also has 3 adopted children. Tokkie and his sister Meisie were adopted in 2010, and Jemile was adopted in 2015.[36]

Jones lives in Cape Town.

Discography

The Original Evergreen
  • Puff The Magik (1995)
  • Burn The Evidence (1997)
  • Addictive Personalities (1999)

Max Normal
  • Songs From the Mall (2001)

The Constructus Corporation

MaxNormal.TV
  • Rap Made Easy (2007)
  • Good Morning South Africa (2008)

Die Antwoord

Solo
  • Memoirs of a Clone (2001)
  • The Fantastic Kill (2005) (released in 2007 in France as MC Totally Rad And DJ Fuck are Fucknrad)

Filmography
  • Goeie More Zuid Africa DVD (2008)
  • Tokoloshe (2011)
  • Umshimi Wam (2011)
  • Chappie (2015) – features "Baby's on Fire", "Ugly Boy", "Cookie Thumper" and "Enter the Ninja".[37]

References
  1. "Anything But Normal (archived)". Levi's Original Music Magazine. 9 September 2008. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  2. Donker Mag (album), Raging Zef Boner (track 5), line 1 and repeated throughout track (lyrics)
  3. "Die Antwoord to sign with Interscope, Neill Blomkamp to direct next video". Boing Boing. 12 March 2010. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  4. "Max Normal – Music, Movies, Merchandise". 5 March 2007. Archived from the original on 8 December 2007. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  5. ScreenPrism. "Why cast Die Antwoord in "Chappie"? What is Zef? Was all the obvious product placement good or bad | ScreenPrism". screenprism.com. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  6. Dazed (26 February 2015). "Yo-landi Visser's rise from hood rat to heroine". Dazed. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  7. Barker, Jean (4 February 2010). "24 Facts: Die Antwoord". Channel. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  8. "The Original Evergreen". Discogs. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  9. "Watkin Tudor Jones Jnr.* – Memoirs of a Clone". Discogs. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  10. "Max Normal". Discogs. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  11. Barker, Jean (4 February 2010). "24 Facts: Die Antwoord". Channel. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  12. "Ziggurat – African Dope Records". Africandope.co.za. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  13. "High Energy Shit – Die Antwoord klettern aus dem Netz – Netzpiloten.de". Netzpiloten Magazin (in German). 27 August 2010. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  14. "Watkin Tudor Jones – The Fantastic Kill". Discogs. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  15. "Fucknrad – MC Totally Rad And DJ Fuck Are Fucknrad". Discogs. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  16. "MaxNormal.TV – Good Morning South Africa". Discogs. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  17. "MaxNormal.TV – Goeie More Zuid Africa". Discogs. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  18. "About". Die Antwoord. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  19. "Die Antwoord's Totally Insane Words of Wisdom". Spin. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  20. "Die Antwoord leave Interscope, will release "TEN$ION" on their own new indie label". Boing Boing. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  21. "Die Antwoord Reveal 'Donker Mag' LP, Share New Video". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  22. "Album Review: Die Antwoord – Mount Ninji and da Nice Time Kid". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  23. ScreenPrism. "Why cast Die Antwoord in "Chappie"? What is Zef? Was all the obvious product placement good or bad | ScreenPrism". screenprism.com. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  24. Oro, Roy (11 March 2019). "What Happened with Zheani and Die Antwoord?!". All Metal Everything. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  25. Baroni, Nastassia (21 March 2019). "Aussie Rapper Accuses Die Antwoord Of "Trafficking", Sexual Abuse & More in Explosive New Diss Track". Music Feeds. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  26. Bossi, Dominic (15 September 2019). "Australian woman accuses Die Antwoord singer Ninja of sexual assault". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  27. Earls, John (20 August 2019). "Die Antwoord axed from festivals for 'homophobic attack' on Andy Butler". NME. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  28. Ninja (18 August 2019). "DIE ANTWOORD". Archived from the original on 30 September 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2020 – via Facebook.
  29. Norris, Chelsey (26 September 2019). "Die Antwoord Reschedules Dallas Show Amid Controversy. We're Not Surprised". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  30. van den Heever, Megan (25 April 2022). "Blood rituals, porn & violence: Die Antwoord's 'child slave' tells all".
  31. Blignaut, Charl. "Die Antwoord's Ninja 'is pure evil'". No. 3 February 2014. News 24. City Press. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  32. Cloete, Kervyn (27 February 2015). ""Pure evil" Die Antwoord made filming on CHAPPIE a nightmare". Critical Hit Entertainment. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  33. Rettig, James (29 June 2022). "Danny Brown Says Die Antwoord's Ninja Sexually Assaulted Him". Stereogum. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  34. "Watkin Tudor-Jones". geni_family_tree. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  35. "Meet Sixteen, The Daughter of Ninja And Yolani Vi$$er – 2oceansvibe.com". 2oceansvibe.com. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  36. "YOHO! MAGAZINE". Die Antwoord. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
  37. JonathanBarkan (20 February 2015). "Die Antwoord Featured in Latest 'Chappie' Featurette". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
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