ONEFOUR (stylised in all caps) 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-rap in Australia. Paving the way for the Australian Drill scene, heavily influenced by the drill scenes of the UK and New York. The group consists of 5 core members, Spenny, YP, Celly, Lekks, and Jemz. YP and Jemz are brothers.
ONEFOUR | |
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Origin | Mount Druitt, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Genres |
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Years active | 2014–present |
Members |
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Website | www |
Their 2019 singles "The Message" and "Spot the Difference" caught the attention of rap fans internationally, particularly in the UK. The group's debut album Against All Odds, released November 2020 peaked at #7 on the ARIA Charts (Australia) and #8 in New Zealand. Their collaborations with The Kid LAROI, A$AP Ferg, Stormzy, AJ Tracey and Headie One further increased their popularity overseas, gaining the attention of Skepta, Dave, Central Cee, Tyga, Lil Mosey, Sheff G, Murda Beatz and T-Pain.
Their fame heavily influenced youth and teen culture in Australia, becoming the focal point of the group's legal issues with state authorities. The group was prevented from performing live music in Australia. Lekks, a core member of the group, is incarcerated until December 2024, whilst member, Celly, had been already in prison one year prior.
This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2021) |
Onefour's name derives from a local street gang called NF14, and the fact the music group was founded in 2014. All five core members grew up in Mount Druitt, one of the most disadvantaged suburbs in Sydney. The members all knew each other from young at their schools and from their local church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Onefour, religiously, consider themselves as Mormons, and are all of Samoan (Pacific-Islander) descent.
The group's rivalry with 21District (a group from Parramatta) plays a big role in the lyrics of the group's music. The rivalry between the two groups applies to a greater crime and gang war between the Greater West suburbs of Sydney and the Inner West suburbs of Sydney, a feud that stemmed back to the 1990s.
Current members[1]
Onefour have been labelled Australia's first drill rappers,[2] with a sound heavily derivative of UK drill music, with the group incorporating UK drill's production style.[3][2] 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 sing in an Australian accent.[4]
The video for their single "In the Beginning" achieved one million views on YouTube in 48 hours,[5] and became the group's first single to chart, debuting at number 39 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[6] Their song "Welcome to prison" amassed 7.4 million views in a year.
Whilst 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 many run ins with the law, with two out of the five core members (Celly14 and Lekks14) currently incarcerated.
In 2019, Onefour were forced to cancel their first national tour following police pressure[7][8][9] on venues.[4] In December 2019, three members of the rap group—YP (Pio Misa), Lekks (Salec Sua) and Celly14 (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. Misa was sentenced to four years in prison with a two-year non-parole period; he was released in December 2021.[10]
Sua was sentenced to four-and-a-half years' jail with a non-parole period of two years and three months, and will be eligible for parole in December 2021, whilst Ramos was sentenced to ten years' jail with a non-parole period of six; he will be eligible for parole in December 2024.[11]
According to NSW Police, the group was involved in rival street gangs in Western Sydney; however, J Emz stated in September 2020 that Onefour members had left the disputes of their teenage years behind them.[4]
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
AUS [12] |
NZ [13] | ||
Against All Odds |
|
7 | 8 |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|
AUS [15] |
NZ | |||
"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"[16] | 39 | — | ||
"Hectic" (with Manu Crooks, featuring J Emz) |
2020 | — | — | |
"Welcome to Prison"[17] | 33 | — | ||
"Say It Again" (with A$AP Ferg)[18] |
34 | —[upper-alpha 1] | ||
"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)[20] |
— | —[upper-alpha 2] | Non-album singles | |
"Street Guide (Part 01)" | 2021 | 54 | —[upper-alpha 3] | |
"Breaks & Caddy's (Street Guide, Pt. 2)" (featuring Cg)[23] |
— | —[upper-alpha 4] | ||
"How We Livin'" (with Kapulet)[25] |
— | — | ||
"Out of Sight" (with YP)[26] |
2022 | 53 | —[upper-alpha 5] | |
"Cap"[28][29] | — | —[upper-alpha 6] | ||
"Cruise Control" | 69 | —[upper-alpha 7] |
Title | Year | Album |
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"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, 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 x Onefour) |
2021 |
Notes
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. |
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2021 | "In the Beginning" | Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work | Nominated | [32] |
2022 | "My City" (with The Kid LAROI) | Most Performed Hip Hop / Rap Work | Pending | [33] |
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.[34]
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
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2020 | "Welcome to Prison" | Australian Video of the Year | Nominated | [35] |