ONEFOUR
OriginMount Druitt, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia[1]
Genres
Years active2014–present
Members
  • Spenny
  • Celly
  • Lekks
  • J Emz
Websitewww.onefour27.com

Onefour (stylised in all caps: ONEFOUR) are an Australian drill and rap group originating from the Western Sydney suburb of Mount Druitt. They are regarded by many as the pioneers of drill music in Australia, following a run of viral singles in 2019. The group has four core members: J Emz, Spenny, Lekks and Celly.

Their debut album Against All Odds, released in November 2020, peaked at #7 on the ARIA Charts (Australia) and #8 in New Zealand.

Name and history

The core members grew up in Mount Druitt, one of Sydney's most disadvantaged suburbs.[2] They knew each other from their schools and their local church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Onefour members still identify as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They are of Samoan descent.[3][4]

Onefour's name has been reported to derive from a local street gang, NF14; however, the members say that it is from 2014, the year they launched as a hip hop group.[2]

The group's rivalry with 21District (a group from Parramatta) plays a big role in their lyrics. The rivalry applies to a greater crime and gang war between the Greater West suburbs of Sydney and the Inner West suburbs of Sydney stemming back to the 1990s.[5]

Band members

As of November 2023, the band members are:[2][6]

Their manager is Ricky Simandjuntak.[2]

Music

Onefour have been labelled Australia's first drill rappers,[1][9] with a sound heavily derivative of UK drill music, with the group incorporating UK drill's production style.[10][9] However, they have a unique sound, which represents a Western Sydney subculture where young men are "lads", "earchers" or "eshays". Onefour were the first Islanders in this subculture to rap in an Australian accent.[11]

Their original singles "The Message" and "Spot the Difference" had a UK-inspired production and lyric style (influenced by group Harlem Spartans), but with an Australian accent.[citation needed] "The Message" includes a line that references the stabbing death of Tino Henry, a member of 21 District, as well as other lyrics mentioning retaliation and the use of knives.[2]

However they rarely perform live (8 shows in the 6 years preceding November 2023), which they blame on intervention by police. After their music had started to take off, they were booked as the supporting act for UK rapper Dave in Sydney and Melbourne on his tour of Australia in 2019. However, after the venues were informed about the potential risks of violence with 21 Districts by police, they cancelled the acts. Later in the year, the band announced their first headline tour playing in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, and Auckland. All venues cancelled apart from Auckland, and Spenny was the only member to perform there; YP, Celly, and Lekks were not allowed to leave the country owing to upcoming court appearances, and J Emz was denied entry to New Zealand on arrival because of his criminal history.[2]

In May 2022, The Kid Laroi called them onto the stage, unannounced, in front of a crowd of 20,000 in Sydney – Onefour's first performance in two and a half years. They performed at the 2023 Listen Out festival.[2]

Popularity and recognition

The video for their single "In the Beginning" achieved one million views on YouTube in 48 hours,[12] and became the group's first single to chart, debuting at number 39 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[13]

Netflix released a documentary about the group on 27 October 2023, titled ONEFOUR: Against All Odds, written and directed by Gabriel Gasparinatos.[14] The film premiered at SXSW Sydney, where there was an increased police presence, including undercover officers and metal detectors.[2]

As of November 2023 Onefour has around 730,300 monthly listeners on Spotify, 318,000 subscribers on YouTube, and their music videos have been viewed millions of times. This makes them one of the biggest hip hop groups in the country.[2]

Legal issues

While the group has established themselves as one of the most prominent acts to have come out of Australia, the group has also been plagued by run-ins with the law.

In July 2019, at a time when violent street gangs had been active in western Sydney, Strike Force Raptor, a branch of NSW Police focused on organised crime, heard that some of Onefour's lyrics had the potential to incite acts of violence by these gangs.[2]

Police have admitted to doing "everything in [their] power" to have them stop rapping about outlaw bikie gangs, and so-called "postcode wars" (gang violence associated with different suburbs), and inciting violence. Police have tried to get their music pulled from streaming platforms.[15][5] In 2019, Onefour were forced to cancel their first national tour following police pressure on venues.[16][17][18][11]

In December 2019, three members of the rap group – YP (Pio Misa), Lekks (Salec Su'a), Celly (Dahcell Ramos) – were jailed over several charges including reckless grievous bodily harm after a violent interaction at the Carousel Inn in Rooty Hill in July 2018.[19][2] Justice James Bennett, who delivered the sentences, said that the fight was the result of an escalation of an argument which included "racial comments".[2]

Misa (YP) was sentenced to four years in prison with a two-year non-parole period; he was released in December 2021.[19][2]

Su'a (Lekks) was sentenced to four-and-a-half years' jail with a non-parole period of two years and three months, eligible for parole in December 2021. He was deported to New Zealand in January 2023,[2] and appeared at a show in Tauranga with Spenny on 3 January 2023.[20]

Ramos (Celly) was sentenced to ten years' jail with a non-parole period of six, for having hit a man in the head with a hammer repeatedly.[2] He was originally eligible for parole in December 2024.[21] However, after appealing his charges, his sentence was reduced to eight years' jail with a non-parole period of four years and nine months, after the appeal judge heard that he was remorseful, and had rehabilitated. He had had a tough childhood which had led to substance abuse as well as ongoing depression. He was released on 7 June 2023.[4][22][2] In 2022, OneFour distanced itself from the NF14 gang.[1] While police remain concerned about their use of referencing violence in their lyrics, with Detective Inspector Weinstein saying "It is pretty well entrenched in drill music that unless you’ve done that crime or you are in that gang, you cannot sing about that actual activity", they say that their lyrics are honest and they are just talking about their lives, not inciting violence. Professor Jioji Ravulo, chair of social work and policy studies at the University of Sydney, whose research concentrates on young people in the criminal justice system, says that "music is therapeutic for disenfranchised young people" and does not in itself provoke crime.[2]

Murder plot

On 11 January 2024, two men, both connected to a criminal syndicate, were arrested over an alleged plot to kill four members of the band. One man was charged with 20 offences and the other man with five, both including conspiracy to murder. The band had no knowledge of the threat to them.[23]

Discography

Extended plays

List of EPs, with release date and label shown
Title Details Peak chart positions
AUS
[24] 		NZ
[25]
Against All Odds 7 8

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles, with year released, selected chart positions, and album name shown
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
AUS
[27] 		NZ
[28]
"Ready for War" 2017 — — Non-album singles
"What You Know" 2018 — —
"Shanks and Shivs" 2019 — —
"The Message" — —
"Spot the Difference" — —
"Ladz in the Hood" — —
"Ben 10" — —
"In the Beginning"[29] 39 —
"Hectic"
(with Manu Crooks, featuring J Emz) 		2020 — —
"Welcome to Prison"[30] 33 —
"Say It Again"
(with A$AP Ferg)[31] 		34 —[A]
"Home and Away" 48 — Against All Odds
"My City"
(with the Kid Laroi) 		28 —
"Better"
(with Dutchavelli & Carnage) 		52 —
"Won't Stop"
(with B Wise)[33] 		— —[B] Non-album singles
"Street Guide (Part 01)" 2021 54 —[C]
"Breaks & Caddy's (Street Guide, Pt. 2)"
(featuring Cg)[36] 		— —[D]
"How We Livin'"
(with Kapulet)[38] 		— —
"Out of Sight"
(with YP)[39] 		2022 53 —[E]
"Cap"[41][42] — —[F]
"Cruise Control" 69 —[G]
"Comma's"
(featuring Cg)[45] 		2023 65 30
"Freedom of Speech"[46] — —[H]

As featured artists

List of singles, with year released and album name shown
Title Year Album
"Maddest of the Maddest"
(Burner featuring Tiny Boost, M24 and Onefour) 		2019 Non-album singles
"The Coldest Link Up, Pt. 2"
(Tweeko & Sebz Beats featuring Double Lz, OG Skanxy, S Wavey, Tiny Syikes, J.B2, Onefour, Trizzac, PS Hitsquad and Pete & Bas) 		2020
"Ain't It Different (Remix)"
(Headie One featuring AJ Tracey, Stormzy and Onefour)
"Aussie Freaks"
(A$AP Ferg featuring Onefour, and Fivio Foreign)
"Bando Diaries Remix"
(Dutchavelli featuring Kekra, Noizy, Divine and Onefour)
"Hot Minute"
(Anfa Rose, 09Scary x Onefour) 		2021

Notes

  1. ^ "Say It Again" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but did peak at number twelve on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[32]
  2. ^ "Won't Stop" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but did peak at number thirty on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[34]
  3. ^ "Street Guide (Part 01)" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but did peak at number six on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[35]
  4. ^ "Breaks & Caddy's (Street Guide, Pt. 2)" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 13 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[37]
  5. ^ "Out of Sight" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number five on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[40]
  6. ^ "Cap" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number 12 on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[43]
  7. ^ "Cruise Control" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number nine on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[44]
  8. ^ "Freedom of Speech" did not enter the NZ Top 40 Singles Chart, but peaked at number six on the NZ Hot Singles Chart.[47]

Awards and nominations

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) to recognise composing and song-writing skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2021 "In the Beginning" Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work Nominated [48]
2022 "My City" (with The Kid LAROI) Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work Nominated [49]
2024 "Comma's" (featuring CG) Most Performed Hip Hop/Rap Work Pending [50]

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual award ceremony event celebrating the Australian music industry.

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2023 "Comma's" (featuring CG) Best Hip Hop/Rap Release Nominated [51]

J Awards

The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005. Onefour have received one nomination.[52]

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
2020 "Welcome to Prison" Australian Video of the Year Nominated [53]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Dangerous western Sydney gangs revealed after fatal Royal Easter Show stabbing". news.com.au. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Bakalla, Ilias (12 November 2023). "Rap group ONEFOUR still can't perform without a heavy police presence. Is it safety or censorship?". SBS News. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  3. ^ Riley, Christopher (21 January 2020). "OneFour: The rise of Australia's most exciting and most controversial music group". GQ Australia. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  4. ^ a b Mehrotra, Kriti (26 October 2023). "Celly: The OneFour Member is a Free Man Today". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b Faruqi, Osman (12 December 2019). "'Who wants war with Sydney's realest?'". ABC News. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  6. ^ Riley, Christopher (5 September 2019). "Meet OneFour: The Western Sydney rap group taking over hip hop". GQ Australia. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  7. ^ Lockley, Kate (27 May 2021). "OneFour Jemz: Jerome Misa, Rekindle Tautalaga, Alai Ahio, Sione Lausii fight gun charges". Blacktown Advocate (Australia). Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  8. ^ Kidd, Jessica (4 December 2019). "OneFour rapper Pio 'YP' Misa and former member Dahcell Ramos jailed over western Sydney pub brawl". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  9. ^ a b Fazal, Mahmood (1 August 2019). "Behind the scenes with Onefour Australia's first drill rappers". Vice. Archived from the original on 7 August 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  10. ^ Moran, Lucy; Cormack, Robert (26 November 2019). "Rap group OneFour says national tour now 'unlikely to proceed', points finger at police". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 28 November 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  11. ^ a b Fazal, Mahmood (September 2020). "The trenches of Mount Druitt: Onefour". The Monthly. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  12. ^ Newstead, Al (15 November 2019). "Onefour's new banger 'In The Beginning' puts the Aussie posers on notice". Triple J. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Tones and I holds off Billie Eilish to stay #1". ARIA Charts. 23 November 2019. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  14. ^ "A ONEFOUR Documentary Is Coming To Netflix This Year". Purple Sneakers. 21 August 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  15. ^ "Decades after NWA fought off censorship, Australia has declared its own war on hip-hop". Sydney Morning Herald. 16 July 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  16. ^ Faruqi, Osman (25 November 2019). "Controversial Sydney drill rappers cancel tour dates, accusing police of 'censorship'". ABC News. Archived from the original on 27 November 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  17. ^ Fazal, Mahmood (6 August 2019). "OneFour Is Banned From Performing In Sydney, Again". Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  18. ^ "Aussie rappers fume after tour cancelled". NewsComAu. 29 November 2019. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  19. ^ a b Van Homrigh, Mitchell (6 December 2021). "A OneFour rapper has celebrated his release from jail with a champagne tower and new chain". News.com.au. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  20. ^ "ONEFOUR on Instagram: "THANK YOU Tauranga💥🙏🏽 1/2 done✅ Nelson ya up next💨"". Instagram. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  21. ^ Kidd, Jessica (5 December 2019). "Sydney rapper jailed for smashing chair leg over man's head in violent pub brawl". ABC News. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  22. ^ "Rapper's horror hammer attack on CCTV". PerthNow. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  23. ^ Harris, Lia (11 January 2024). "Two men charged over alleged murder plot against Western Sydney drill rap group ONEFOUR members". ABC News. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  24. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  25. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  26. ^ Lim, Eddy (3 November 2020). "OneFour reveal release date for debut EP 'Against All Odds'". NME Australia. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  27. ^ Peaks in Australia:
    • All except noted: "Onefour". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
    • "Better": "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 23 November 2020". The ARIA Report. No. 1603. Australian Recording Industry Association. 23 November 2020. p. 4.
    • "Street Guide (Part 01)": "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 29 March 2021". The ARIA Report. No. 1621. Australian Recording Industry Association. 29 March 2021. p. 4.
    • "Out of Sight": "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 21 February 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1668. Australian Recording Industry Association. 21 February 2022. p. 4.
    • "Cruise Control": "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 23 May 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1681. Australian Recording Industry Association. 23 May 2022. p. 4.
    • "Comma's": "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 20 March 2023". The ARIA Report. No. 1724. Australian Recording Industry Association. 20 March 2023. p. 4.
  28. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  29. ^ Newstead, Al (15 November 2019). "OneFour's new banger 'In The Beginning' puts the Aussie posers on notice". Triple J. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  30. ^ Newstead, Al (7 February 2020). "First Spin: OneFour get reflective on new single 'Welcome To Prison". Triple J. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  31. ^ Newstead, Al (6 May 2020). "Onefour hook up with A$AP Ferg on 'Say It Again', here's how it happened". Triple J. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  32. ^ "Hot Singles Chart for week of 10 May 2020". Recorded Music NZ. 10 May 2020. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  33. ^ Lim, Eddy (4 December 2020). "B Wise teams up with OneFour for party-ready 'Won't Stop'". NME Australia. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  34. ^ "Hot Singles Chart for week of 13 December 2020". Recorded Music NZ. 13 December 2020. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  35. ^ "Hot Singles Chart for week of 29 March 2021". Recorded Music NZ. 29 March 2021. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  36. ^ "Breaks & Caddy's (Street Guide, Pt. 2) (feat. Cg) – Single by Onefour on Apple Music". Apple Music. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  37. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart for week of 24 May 2021". Recorded Music NZ. 24 May 2021. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  38. ^ "How We Livin' – Single by Onefour on Apple Music". Apple Music. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  39. ^ "OneFour's YP returns with debut solo single, "Out of Sight"". NME Australia. 10 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  40. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 21 February 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  41. ^ "Listen to OneFour's punchy new single CAP'". NME Australia. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  42. ^ "New Aus Music Playlist ADDITIONS – 08/04/22". Music Feeds. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  43. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 18 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  44. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  45. ^ "Lekks returns to Onefour after three-year hiatus on new single 'Comma's'". NME Australia. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  46. ^ "ONEFOUR – Freedom Of Speech (Official Music Video)". Shock Mansion. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  47. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 25 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  48. ^ "Nominees announced for the 2021 APRA Music Awards". APRA AMCOS. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  49. ^ "Nominees Revealed for 2022 APRA Music Awards". The Industry Observer. 7 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  50. ^ "2024 APRA Music Awards nominees announced: Paul Kelly, Troye Sivan, Tex Perkins, and more". Mumbrella. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  51. ^ "Nominees Announced for 2023 ARIA Awards". Music Feeds. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  52. ^ "Here are your nominees for the 2020 J Awards!". Triple J. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  53. ^ Triscari, Caleb (19 November 2020). "Lime Cordiale take home Australian Album of the Year at the 2020 J Awards". NME Australia. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
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