My interview with Ninja from South African zef-rap phenomenon Die Antwoord for this week’s Reader was one of the most grueling transcription jobs I’ve ever done, thanks to his thick accent, the speed at which he speaks, and the extent to which he will expound on the questions asked of him—not to mention the quality of the phone connection to Johannesburg via a three-way call through a publicist’s office in New York. (If you ever interview him, plan on five to seven times the amount of time you’d normally give yourself to transcribe.) But the story of Die Antwoord making a million dollars off of Interscope, then walking away owning the album the label bankrolled? It’s wonderful and worth the effort.