“Now the question is, will you remain the same? Or are you willing to do whatever it takes to change?”
Questions that have undoubtedly been key to the evolution of Sydney drill rap group ONEFOUR now translate to impactful lyrics that are heard on their overdue debut album, Look At Me Now.
The story of ONEFOUR has been marked by chapters of controversy and struggle; at the same time, the artistry that has flourished since their arrival in 2017 has positioned them as one of the country’s most successful streaming rap groups — over 500 million combined streams, including 150 million-plus plays on YouTube — who are simply waiting for their chance to properly stretch their wings.
As detailed in the 2023 Netflix documentary, ONEFOUR: Against All Odds, the group’s meteoric rise as Australia’s pioneering drill rap group has been inextricably linked to constant opposition from the NSW Police, as well as periods of incarceration for two group members following a violent interaction in a NSW establishment in 2018. At every step, ONEFOUR were targeted by the state’s Strike Force Raptor, weaponing laws designed to take down outlaw motorcycle gangs and terrorists.
Credit: Supplied
Since 2023, those incarcerated members, Celly and Lekks, have both been released on parole, able to rejoin their ONEFOUR brothers, J Emz and Spenny, in properly realising the full potential of their music.
The ONEFOUR the public sees now — the ONEFOUR that the public will learn about through Look At Me Now — have had their chemistry and resolve redefined by each obstacle and hardship they have encountered and overcome.
“We’ve grown up in this thing now,” Lekks says. “It helps our songwriting, our lyrics. [Look At Me Now] speaks to maturity.”
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.
“When we were younger, we did get caught up in some things. But to see where the music is now and where it can still go, it’s a direction we want to keep going in.” Celly
Celly agrees. “It feels like there is a bigger picture now. Yes, when we were younger, we did get caught up in some things. But to see where the music is now and where it can still go, it’s a direction we want to keep going in. I’m taking it more seriously and it’s exciting when thinking about what outcomes can still come from this.”
In a way, Look At Me Now is arriving at the right time: ONEFOUR needed the lessons and the hindsight to be able to attack a debut album as they have here.
Such visceral emotional intelligence that belies tracks like “Family”, “Change”, or “Father’s Day” comes with growth that has been gained via coming up through the struggle, turning failures into lessons, and realising that their connection goes beyond just making music.
From running the streets of Mount Druitt, to being recognised and co-signed by heavyweights including A$AP Ferg, Headie One, and The Kid LAROI, and collecting a breakthrough win at the 2024 APRA Music Awards for Most Performed Hip Hop/Rap Work with “COMMA’S” (featuring CG), the sense of brotherhood ONEFOUR have maintained throughout has remained steadfast.
It’s a sense of endurance and ambition, along with their cutting-edge musical talent, that has made ONEFOUR so appealing to a whole generation of music fans — specifically the young Pacific Islanders who can see themselves in the group and their journey. Of Samoan descent, ONEFOUR have been at the forefront of the current generation of Australian-born Pacific Islanders shifting music culture in today’s landscape.
The members don’t necessarily hold themselves up as definitive role models or community elder types, but they do recognise the impact their music and story has on those who are still in the streets, or those who have creative ambitions, just as they did.
“We came up from the same places as some of these kids. It’s about showing them that they can reach these places, they’ve just got to put in that work.” Spenny
“The story of us, it shows that if us boys from Mounty can do it… we had nothing, we were poor,” Spenny explains. “We came up from the same places as some of these kids. It’s about showing them that they can reach these places, they can travel the world and do what they want, they’ve just got to put in that work.”
For Celly, who was serving jail time during the formative stages of ONEFOUR’s prolific rise, his focus was trained on how to capitalise on each opportunity coming his way, once he came home.
“I still learned things when I was inside,” he says. “With everything that we’ve been through with the media and the cops, it’s like… we were never going to know what we could do as artists, if they weren’t going to let us do our thing.
“Now that we’re here, we can see it, we can see the bigger picture. We can see where we’re going. Now that they [the group’s fans] can see we’ve done it, hopefully if they’ve got any dreams with music, they can reach that potential, wherever they want to go with it.”
Delving into Look At Me Now, ONEFOUR are proud of the emotional territory the project pushed them into. The aggression and confidence that drove Platinum-certified releases like “Spot the Difference” and “Home and Away” remains a total force throughout Look At Me Now (“Luxford”, “Blood in My Eyes”), yet there are more vulnerable moments that provide balance and nuance (“Phone Call”, “Look At Me Now”).
Rich beats and melody swirl around moments of honesty and revelation, as Spenny opens up on behaviours learned and mistakes made. “Cold-hearted, so my feelings are numb, cold sweats and nightmares from the shit that I’ve done,” he raps. “And the shit that I’ve witnessed growing up on the block, learning from my mistakes is what turned me into a boss.”
The introspective music produces a portrait of ONEFOUR at their most raw.
“They’re about to hear some shit!” Lekks laughs, thinking ahead to the potential impact of Look At Me Know.
“There have been a lot of ups and downs, but that’s what happens. We’re brothers, you know?” Lekks
“There have been a lot of ups and downs, but that’s what happens,” he adds. “We’re brothers, you know?”
Spenny furthers, “Even though some of us are not seeing each other all the time and we can’t necessarily be with each other every day, [the dynamic has] been good. We’ve been able to be vulnerable on the tracks that we’ve put out.
“There are certain things that have happened over the course of our time together, that we speak on in the music. There are a lot of experiences there from 2019, all the way until now. There were a lot of things that happened during the course of our time [together so far], the boys going in and out, but we’re here now. We’re excited to get it out there.”
With the album release, ONEFOUR have also been able to orchestrate their biggest Australian tour to date. Across thirteen shows, the group will be performing in venues nationwide, including all-ages shows in Melbourne and Brisbane.
Noticeably absent from the tour schedule is a hometown show in Sydney, where ONEFOUR still face difficulties in being able to perform. While it has been disappointing for the group not to be able to include Sydney as part of what stands to be quite a victory lap, ONEFOUR are excited to finally flex a live performance muscle that has been ready to show its full potential for a long time.
“I’m excited to get these tours in, man!” Spenny enthuses. “For me and Emz especially. For the other boys who were in jail, they couldn’t look at it either way at that time, but for us being able to go on tour regularly… We went on tour last year and we’re going on a bigger one this year – adding international dates too, it’s crazy.
“I never thought we’d be in this position. When we toured back in the day, there were a lot of things stopping us. A lot of obstacles we had to overcome to get to this point. We’ve still got a little bit to get past; it will be good to perform at home without any hassle, but we’re grateful for the other cities. We’re excited for that.”
“I feel like it’s really important for artists in general to be able to perform in front of their fans,” J Emz adds. “It’s the pinnacle of being able to move forward with your music. To be able to perform in front of all-ages crowds and motivate them, show them that it is possible, it’s a good feeling. We can’t wait to be able to do it.”
ONEFOUR are looking forward to celebrating this touchstone moment for them and their community — those who have been with them since the start, through to the newer fans for whom Look At Me Now may be their gateway record.
“This whole time, we’ve been seen a certain way in the media and with music,” Celly muses. “It’s like… we’ve been knocking on the door, but some people haven’t wanted to open it. Hopefully with this [album], they can see the vision. ONEFOUR, we’ll do what we want to do; we don’t care what people think. Spenny has said this a lot as well. If they accept us now, then good, but we’ve been out here from the start.”
The determination and hustle that is part of ONEFOUR’s musical DNA can be heard simply in the way each group member speaks about not just what they’ve gone through, but what they are looking to do next.
Within the group, the sense of responsibility for their own futures has never been stronger.
The Samoan sense of usoga, the brotherhood, has also never been stronger.
“When we dropped the poster and the announcement for the album and tour, we were sitting there thinking about how a couple of boys from Mounty who used to just run the streets, now have international tours and people from other sides of the world excited for our music,” Celly says.
“When you put it together like that, it’s crazy. And for me to come out of jail… The boys worked hard so I could even be in this position. For me personally, all of this goes to show what we actually want to do. What I want to do.”
“One thing I can say is that it has been a lot of work,” J Emz states. “So being able to finally enjoy the music and enjoy what I’m able to do is inspiring me to create more, as well as being able to work with the guys easily. The goals are bigger than anything we’ve ever dreamed of. It’s been a long time coming.”
This ONEFOUR interview features in the June-August 2025 issue of Rolling Stone AU/NZ. If you’re eager to get your hands on it, then now is the time to sign up for a subscription.
Whether you’re a fan of music, you’re a supporter of the local music scene, or you enjoy the thrill of print and long form journalism, then Rolling Stone AU/NZ is exactly what you need. Click the link below for more information regarding a magazine subscription.
