Rapper, actor, satirist - this is part of the role played by Watkin Tudor Jones, the star of South African show business. At various times he was known under various pseudonyms, was engaged in various types of creative activity. He is truly a multifaceted personality that cannot be ignored.
The childhood of the future celebrity Votkin Tudor Jones
Watkin Tudor Jones, better known as Ninja, was born on September 26, 1974 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Jones family were creative people, so the boy led a free bohemian lifestyle from childhood.
Watkin took an early interest in music and became interested in drawing. He attended Parktown Boys' High School for boys. In 1992, without finishing his studies for a year, the young man left the educational institution. Later, in an interview with questions about his family, Watkin Tudor Jones stated that his father was shot and his brother committed suicide. The artist often tells strange, contradictory stories about himself, which becomes a reason to doubt his words.
Finding Yourself
The guy, refusing to study, decided to devote his life entirely to creativity. At first, the young man could not decide on the field of activity. He was interested in graphics, and also attracted music. Watkin decided to start as a DJ. He quickly mastered the necessary skills.
The boy began to perform in ordinary nightclubs. There was no development in such work, as well as the desired level of income. Watkin quickly abandoned this line of work.
Start of development of Watkin Tudor Jones in the music field
Watkin Tudor Jones, having abandoned his work as a DJ, was not going to stop making music. He switched to another direction. The young man became the founder of a musical group. The first project of the future famous artist was The Original Evergreens.
The group's activities are the first attempts to find their place in music. The band's songs combined a mixture of pop, rap, reggae, rock. At first, the guys created for themselves, recorded demo versions of tracks, gave small concerts. In 1995, they managed to enter into cooperation with Sony Music.
They recorded the album "Puff the Magik", which became the only one in their career. Their work was well received by both listeners and critics. In 1996, the group won the award for "Best Rap Album" at the South African Music Awards. Soon their songs stopped playing on radio stations due to censorship. In the work of the group, propaganda of drugs was traced. This was the impetus for the collapse of the team.
The next attempt at creativity
Watkin Tudor Jones didn't get discouraged by the negative turn of events. He found associates, created another team. In the new Max Normal group, the nimble young man again took the lead. In 2001, the band released their first and only album "Songs From The Mall".
The group actively performed at festivals in their native country, the 1st time went to London with a concert, and also played 3 performances in Belgium. In 2002, Watkin Tudor Jones unexpectedly announced the dissolution of the team. The leader explained his decision by a creative crisis. In 2008, the group revived, but without its founder.
Another "game" of talent
Reminds me of my old passion for graphics. He moved to Cape Town, where he found like-minded people in the face of DJ Dope of Krushed & Sorted and Felix Laband. The team began to create an unusual project. The guys came up with a multimedia creation in which they combined texts, music and graphic images. Another fantasy game gradually grew into a new musical group.
Activities as part of The Constructus Corporation
In 2002, The Constructus Corporation already presented their first album to the public. It was an impressive work that boggled the imagination. Creation was presented as a book with a bright, unusual design.
It contained the text of an invented story. A couple of discs were included with the printed version. An incredible idea, as well as its embodiment, impressed and remembered. As in other Watkin Tudor Jones projects, this work was the only one. In 2003, the team announced the termination of its activities.
Creating another group
Die Antwoord, which became the most successful project of Watkin Tudor Jones, appeared only in 2008. The team chose an unusual direction of activity for itself. Familiar rock and hip-hop not only united, but also replenished with an alternative mood. This was facilitated by the "zef" culture. The guys sang in a mixture of African and English. The ideology combined modernity and cultural archaisms. It was something pretentious, but ironic.
The band's debut album was released in 2009. The team did not publish it, but simply posted it on the network. The rise in popularity was gradual. After 9 months, the group's website could not withstand the influx of visitors, the musicians had to restore and strengthen their position. In the period from 2012 to 2018, 4 more records appeared in the group's discography.
Acting Watkin Tudor Jones
In 2014 he acted as an actor. He starred in Neil Blomkamp's film Chappie the Robot. The artist has always been able to play well in front of the audience and shock. In 2016, he played a great Paralympian in one of his videos. The audience for a long time wondered what happened to the singer, why he had prostheses instead of legs.
Appearance of the singer
Watkin Tudor Jones has a typical European appearance. He is a tall, thin man. The artist has many different tattoos on his body. There were no drawings on the face. The singer loves to shock the audience, so he often behaves defiantly, takes the appropriate photos.
The personal life of the artist Watkin Tudor Jones
The artist met with Yolandi Visser for a long time. This became the artist's brightest and longest relationship. The girl has worked with the singer since Max Normal. She had a bright appearance, similar outrageous behavior.
In 2006, the couple had a daughter, Sixteen Jones. In the present, Watkin claims that he and Yolandi broke up, but continue to work, participate in the upbringing of their daughter. Given the frequent appearance of the couple in public together, many doubt the end of the relationship.
