MIND OVER MATTER
IT’S 7AM in Mount Druitt’s RAAF Memorial Park and the region of Western Sydney known simply as The Area is slowly coming to life. A man wearing a white T-shirt with ‘Tonga’ printed across the front begins some leisurely stretches while another performs what looks like a mixture of tai chi and interpretive dance. As the sun rises, construction work begins on a nearby house.
Men’s Health is here to meet YP, the youngest member of rap group ONEFOUR. The group from Mount Druitt announced themselves in 2019 with a string of viral songs that quickly made them the most popular hip hop act in the country. Widely considered the originators of drill music in Australia – a sometimes-violent form of rap known for its nihilistic portrayal of society’s underbelly – ONEFOUR have gone from exciting but controversial outsiders to legitimate artists, with record-breaking streaming numbers, a merch brand and commercial partnerships with the likes of JD Sports and Nike. But alongside their success, controversy has remained close by each step of the way. With the police arguing their music incites violence, the group have been prevented from playing shows across Australia, a matter that is yet to be resolved, some three years after their arrival.
Having been instrumental in the group’s rise, YP went to prison at the end
