Anri du Toit, professionally known as Yolandi Visser (stylized as ¥o-Landi Vi$$er), is a South African rapper and the female vocalist in the rap-rave group Die Antwoord. Partnered with Ninja (Watkin Tudor Jones) in the group, she gained prominence as one of the leading voices in the rap-rave genre.
Yolandi Visser made an appearance in the 2015 Neill Blomkamp film "Chappie." Recognized for her distinctive punk and gothic celebrity looks, she is admired for her sweet vocal tone and adept rapping skills, earning her respect in the South African alternative hip-hop scene. Despite a challenging childhood, Yolandi Visser's passion for music and fashion has propelled her from an orphaned background to becoming one of the most successful female rappers in Mzansi.
Early Life
Anri du Toit was adopted as a baby by Reverend Ben du Toit and his wife. She had an older adoptive brother named Leon, who sadly passed away in 2015. Yolandi's upbringing was marked by a sense of not fitting in and feeling like she didn't belong anywhere. Describing herself as 'a little punk,' she often found herself in fistfights.
At the age of 16, Yolandi was sent to Menlopark High School, a boarding school located nine hours away from her family's home. In this new environment, surrounded by creative and artistic-minded individuals, she felt that she began to blossom and discover her identity.
Career
The Constructus Corporation
Watkin Tudor Jones, also known as "Ninja," invited Anri du Toit to contribute vocals for his project, The Constructus Corporation. In this venture, she was credited under the name Anica the Snuffling. The band released their debut and only album, "The Ziggurat," in 2003.
MaxNormal.TV
Subsequently, du Toit became a member of the South African 'corporate' hip-hop group MaxNormal.TV. In this group, she took on the role of Max Normal's personal assistant and adopted the stage name Yolandi Visser.
The song "Tik Tik Tik" provides a fictional backstory for Anri du Toit. According to the lyrics, she was born into poverty in a large family and eventually ran away due to boredom and loneliness. In the narrative of "Option A," she encounters a drug dealer, gets involved in transporting drugs for him in exchange for sustenance, and falls into meth addiction, regretting her choices. Conversely, in "Option B," she ignores the drug dealer's advances, opts to work at a cafe, and rents a room there. Her life takes a positive turn when she is offered the opportunity to join MaxNormal.TV after witnessing a rap show outside the cafe.
The group MaxNormal.TV released their debut and only album, "Good Morning South Africa," in 2008. In the same year, a DVD titled "Goeie Morge Zuid Afrika" featuring 13 skits, music videos, and short films was also released.
Die Antwoord
Anri du Toit is presently a member of the South African rap-rave group Die Antwoord, which she co-founded with her then-partner Jones and producer HITEK5000 (formerly DJ Hi-Tek and God). They later added a second producer, Lil2Hood.
Die Antwoord is associated with the South African counterculture movement known as zef, and in the band, du Toit goes by the stage name ¥o-Landi Vi$$er. She adopted a bleach-blonde mullet hairstyle at the band's inception, aiming for a distinct look. Cutting her hair, she expressed, felt like a rebirth and served as a statement of outsider and zef pride.
Die Antwoord released their debut album, "$O$," in 2009. The album was made available for free online and gained international attention, particularly for their music video "Enter the Ninja." After briefly signing with Interscope Records, they decided to leave due to pressure from the label to conform to a more generic sound. Anri du Toit (¥o-Landi Vi$$er) explained that they didn't want to compromise their artistic vision for commercial success, stating, "If you try to make songs that other people like, your band will always be shit. You always have to do what you like. If it connects, it's a miracle, but it happened with Die Antwoord."
Following their departure from Interscope, Die Antwoord formed their own independent label, Zef Recordz, and released their second album, "Tension," through it. Subsequently, they released two more albums: "Donker Mag" in 2014 and "Mount Ninji and da Nice Time Kid" in 2016. In addition to their musical endeavors, Anri du Toit played a self-styled role as ¥o-Landi Vi$$er in the 2015 Neill Blomkamp film "Chappie."
Discography
The Constructus Corporation
The Ziggurat (2003)
MaxNormal.TV
Rap Made Easy (2007)
Good Morning South Africa (2008)
Die Antwoord
$O$ (2009)
TEN$ION (2012)
Donker Mag (2014)
Mount Ninji and da Nice Time Kid (2016)
House of Zef (2020)
Filmography
Goeie More Zuid Africa DVD (2008)
Tokoloshe (2011)
Umshimi Wam (2011)
Chappie (2015)
Ugly Boy
Tommy Can’t
Picnic
Personal life
Yolandi Visser, apart from her career as a mainstream female rapper, is also a mother. In 2005, she gave birth to her firstborn, a daughter named Sixteen Jones, from her relationship with her then-boyfriend, Watkin Tudor Jones, aka Ninja. In addition to her biological child, Yolandi has three other adopted children: Tokkie and Meisie, adopted in 2010, and Jemile, adopted in 2015.
While Yolandi Visser and Ninja share a professional history as bandmates in Die Antwoord, the two broke up in 2013, despite being in the same music band. Before her relationship with Ninja, Yolandi was dating DJ Muggs.
Controversies
In 2019, a video from 2012 surfaced, showing Yolandi Visser and Watkin Tudor Jones (Ninja) of Die Antwoord in a physical altercation with Hercules and Love Affair founder Andy Butler. Jones claimed that the person who filmed the video edited it to make it seem like they were in the wrong.
In April 2022, Tokkie (born Gabriel du Preez) accused Yolandi Visser and Ninja of physical and sexual abuse against himself and his younger sister Meisie.