Towards the end of the war, so-called Boers, Afrikaans-speaking farmers, engaged in guerrilla warfare against the British despite the fact that they had already lost.

Van der Merwe's lyrics are "a little more hopeful", he has said, because he tries to find things to be proud of in the Afrikaans identity, although it is difficult because there is "much to be ashamed of".

Due to the low status of Afrikaans in post-Apartheid South Africa, as a boy, Van der Merwe was made to feel like an outsider growing up, and was "called 'Dutchman' and 'Boer' daily.

[6] He began writing rap when he was fifteen years old, initially in English, and only later in Afrikaans, "with a dictionary in [...] hand" as he tried to learn the language after he had reconciled with his background.

Louis Minnaar, who was known for his award-winning music videos for Van Coke Kartel, Yesterday's Pupil, and Die Heuwels Fantasties, was originally brought into the group for that purpose, but also became a composer and producer during the writing and production of 'n Ware Verhaal.

Bittereinder have collaborated on stage with David Kramer, Koos Kombuis, Inge Beckmann, Kongos, Tumi Molekane, Hanu de Jong (The Narrow / Not my dog), Richard Brokensha (ISO), HemelBesem, Carlo Mombelli, Reason, Shane Durrant (Desmond & the Tutus) amongst others.