Article by Jack Daniel Betz
Interview by Marini Van Smirren & Timothy J. Doresy

Last night Stereo Live off Richmond was shaken to the ground by Baltimore hip-hop artist Rye Rye then South African rap outfit Die Antwoord. Rye Rye was an incredible opener and demonstrated an amazing ability to dance and rhyme to some mind-blowing choreographed routines. At only 19, Rye Rye has collaborated with artists like M.I.A. (and is actually signed to her label) and Diplo. Luckily for us, Rye Rye was happy to do a short interview.

FPH:How did you get started with this project?
RR: Well I used to write poetry and R&B and DJ Blaqstarr, he was one of the popular producers in Baltimore at the time, he was a friend of my sister’s and one day he was like “does your sister know how to rap?” he asked that and I didn’t know why but I got influenced and made a song. I called his voice mail and then rapped it on the answering machine.

[Shake it to the ground]

FPH: You’re only 19 years old? That’s pretty bad ass. Is this something you saw coming?
RR: Um no. When I was younger I always told myself I was gonna be a big star but I always wanted to be a dancer. I never really took it seriously. Even when my career started up I still was having fun but that’s when I met M.I.A. and Diplo and DJ Blaqstarr wanted me to come to the studio but I never knew about either one of them at all. And then M.I.A. was like “you should come on tour with me” but I was 15 so I was like “no way”. [laughter]

FPH: So where did you learn to dance?
RR: It just something real natural to me that I learned back home. We used to do little talent shows and different stuff at different schools, stuff like that.

FPH: Would you say you have a message to your listeners?
RR: Me and my music are all about fun and when I come out on the stage it’s about fun. The way
I’m dressing is all about fun because I’m 19. So I don’t really have this powerful message to deliver because I’m just 19. So I’m just having fun and wanting to share the Baltimore sound. I just want everyone to have a great time. And also you don’t have to exploit yourself to be who you want to be, females.

FPH: Well we could tell. The entire time, during the whole show, I don’t think the smile left your face.

Die Antwoord’s opened with “Enter the Ninja” and galvanized the audience with pumping European house style beats and super-sexual lyrics. Front man Watkin Jones, going by the moniker “ninja”, rapped fiercely with the help of his sexy sidekick Yolandi Visser. The music was a standalone but their gimmicks were impressive too. These included but were not limited to: a giant prosthetic schlong, tighter than skin lamé, various animal costumes, and pokémon suits. We even got a lessen in Afrikaans cuss words during which Jones chastised the idiots moshing in the middle for not paying attention. It was fantastic.

Tim, Marini, and I were not as lucky in securing an interview Die Antwoord, however. After waiting by the stage for a long while, we ended up outside in the pouring rain where we stood for a whole hour under a single umbrella. The South African hip-hop act never acknowledged our presence and we never got so much as a snapshot of them but we tried our damndest. It was the best Monday night I’ve had in a long time.