Drill Meets Strings: ONEFOUR Hits The Joan
Mount Druitt’s most famous export is bringing it back to the west.
This is a big one. ONEFOUR, the drill group that put Western Sydney on the global rap map, will play Penrith as part of Sydney Festival. For a group that spent years locked out of performing in their own city, a show out west is a full circle moment.
Who are ONEFOUR?
ONEFOUR started in Mount Druitt and are made up of J Emz, Spenny, Celly and Lekks. They were the first Pacific Islander group in the scene to rap in an Australian accent. That sound changed Australian hip hop and turned the group into one of the country’s biggest rap acts.
Their debut album, Look At Me Now, hit #2 on the ARIA Charts. Their catalogue includes the double-platinum The Message and the triple-platinum Spot The Difference.
A long road home
ONEFOUR’s story hasn’t been easy. In 2019, a NSW Police strike force raised concerns that some of their lyrics could incite violence, and a sold-out national tour was shut down. That fight is documented in the Netflix film ONEFOUR: Against All Odds, which follows the group’s rise and the barriers they faced along the way.
For years, Sydney was the one city missing from their tour schedules. That changed when they finally played their debut hometown headline show at City Recital Hall. J Emz said the moment wasn’t just for the group: “It’s definitely a moment for the city, and not for ourselves.”
Since then, they’ve supported The Kid LAROI on his Australian stadium tour, collaborated with UK artists including Headie One, and taken their Back Outside tour to regional Australia for the first time.
Why this one matters
Playing Penrith as part of Sydney Festival puts ONEFOUR on one of Sydney’s biggest cultural stages, right in the heart of the west where it all started. Expect a huge crowd, a lot of hometown pride and a show people will be talking about for a long time.
Tickets for ONEFOUR shows sell fast, so set a reminder for the on-sale date.
The details
When: 22 – 23 January 2027
Where: Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre
More info: ONEFOUR & the Penrith Chamber Orchestra – Sydney Festival
