IF WE WERE to ask you to make a list of Australia’s cultural icons, you’d probably be tempted to start with the sporting arena. Names like Cathy Freeman and Shane Warne spring to mind - athletes whose talent and charm captured the heart of the nation. Elsewhere you might look to a standout politician, or in recent years to an actor like Chris Hemsworth, whose star power transcends our national borders. But what about a 36-year-old ex-con who goes simply by Spanian? Let us explain.
A career criminal turned rapper turned author turned social media superstar, Spanian sits somewhere between Ned Kelly and Chopper Read with just a hint of Russell Crowe thrown in for good measure. His life and career so far are quite literally the stuff of fiction. A drug addict in his early teens, Spanian spent the best part of 13 years in jail before finally deciding enough was enough. He took to music and achieved a degree of success as a rapper before realising his real talent was simply, well, being himself. Spanian then started a series of YouTube videos entitled in which he takes his fans through his
