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Obituaries
Die Antwoord collaborator DJ Solarize dies
By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 9 June 2011
DJ Solarize, real name Leon Botha, best known outside his native South Africa for his work with Die Antwoord, died on Sunday, the day after his 26th birthday, it has been reported.
Botha was born with the rare genetic disorder progeria, which causes sufferers to age at an accelerated rate. Most die by their teens, and Botha was the oldest known living person with progeria in the world prior to his death. He regularly opened Die Antwoord shows with DJ sets, and featured in the group’s video for ‘Enter The Ninja’.
He was also a visual artist, displaying his first solo exhibition, ‘Liquid Sword: I Am Hip Hop’, in 2007, and later working with photographer Gordon Clark on a series of portraits exploring his condition and society’s view of him.
