Drapht attended Perth Modern School in Subiaco but was not involved in the school's music program. At school, he became friends with Damien Allia (aka DJ Armee) who introduced him to hip hop via gigs at the Hyde Park Hotel.
Drapht became a vital part of Perth's hip hop crew Syllabolix at the age of 17.
"I was real lucky. I hung around all the SBX members before I even started rapping. I was right in the middle of it all, I had access to the fucking dopest producer at the time Dazastah, freestyle sessions at Hunter's, and constant schooling from the whole crew. So, it was hard for me not to learn quick and be involved with it all." - Drapht
This involvement resulted in his first contributions being recorded and included on the Done DL album in 2000, only months after he had started seriously writing.
Drapht's first track, "Misunderstood", which sampled Nina Simone's 1964 song, "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", was released as part of the Culture of Kings - Volume 3 released in 2003.
"I know a lot of people were big fans of that song, but I never put it in my live show 'cause it's a downtempo sort of beat. It was just a track I wrote in a span of a few days, and it was just lying around. So, I put it on Culture of Kings. Luckily enough, it was the intro song for the album. It has definitely helped to carry my career on." - Drapht (2008)
His debut album, Pale Rider, was released in October 2003, with all production handled by Dazastah (Downsyde), Fdel, and Drapht. Special appearances on the album include: Fdel (Invada Records), Downsyde, MC Layla, Hunter, Selekt, Carlsani, and Porsah Lane.
"With my first album, I just kinda got into it because I was hanging around the guys from Downsyde and Syllabolix. Essentially, I got into it just because I loved how Daz [Dazastah] tackled his writing style and his punch-lines. Aggression was the one thing I wanted to get rid of, which is why it came out more aggressive than any album I've done since. Being a teenager you seem to be more this way. Then, you [hopefully] let it all go." - Drapht (2008)
The follow-up, 2005's Who Am I, was also produced by Dazastah (Downsyde), Fdel, and Drapht. The songs touch on topics including politics, sex, and addiction to drunken antics. Guest appearances on the album include Pressure (Hilltop Hoods), Downsyde, Layla, Pegz (Obese Records), Clandestien, MJ (Funkola), and Hunter. It was released by Obese Records in both in a CD and a limited 2 LP vinyl format. Two tracks from the album, "Drink Drank Drunk" and "The Music", received airplay on Triple J, mostly on the Super Request program. Who Am I is more of an introspective album.
"I tried to focus more on my flow and the structure of the tracks but at the end I wasn't really happy with the subject matter of the songs." - Drapht (2008)
Drapht has opened for acts such as; Hilltop Hoods, Dilated Peoples, Downsyde, Koolism, Apathy, Rodney P & Skitz, Mystro, Killa Kela, and Resin Dogs.
The song "The Music" was selected by Triple J as a featured track for Ausmusic month in 2005. Drapht released a music video for "The Music", which was shown on Rage. He also performed a guest verse on the Hilltop Hoods album The Hard Road on the track "The Blue Blooded".
Drapht was nominated in the Best Urban/Hip Hop Act category at the 2007 West Australian Music Industry Awards. At the age of twenty-five, Drapht decided to pursue music full-time, leaving his other career as a roof carpenter.
Drapht's third album, Brothers Grimm, was released 10 May 2008, with the first song from the album, "Jimmy Recard", receiving significant airplay on Triple J, where it became the second most played song on the station in 2008.
"With Brothers Grimm, I tried to tackle subject matter more, and tried to make every single word more clear - not so intense. I wanted it to be more personal and truthful with what I stand for and have gone through in life, and the response has been really good." - Drapht (2008)
The album debuted at No. 64 on the ARIA Album charts, reached No. 9 on the V Energy AIR (Association of Independent Record Labels) Charts and No. 10 on the ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Top 40 Urban Album charts.
Drapht appeared for the first time in a Triple J Hottest 100 with two entries in the 2008 countdown; "Jimmy Recard" at number 10 and "Falling" at number 77.
In October 2008, Drapht was nominated for the 'Best New Australian Independent Artist' award by the 2008 AIR Awards.
In March 2009, Drapht undertook a national tour of Australia with fellow Western Australians, Downsyde with a number of the eastern states performances being supported by Pez. Drapht also made appearances at Homebake, Pyramid Rock Festival, Southbound, Open Arms, and MS Fest.
"Jimmy Recard" was nominated for 'Most Popular Single/EP' at the 2009 West Australian Music Industry Awards and Drapht as 'Best Urban/Hip Hop Act', which he subsequently won.
In an interview with The Vine in November 2010, Drapht advised that he had not renewed his contract with Obese Records and that he will be releasing his forthcoming album The Life of Riley independently. The first song released from the album is "Rapunzel", for which he describes the love hate relationship that is Rapunzel- a subject that I had that was extremely close to my heart, so naturally the song itself was one of the easiest to write, but one of the hardest to nail in the recording process. Has to be one of my favourites to date, has made me fall in love with her all over again!
"Rapunzel" reached number 12 on Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2010, #2 on the AIR charts, and peaked at #16 on the ARIA singles chart in February 2011, the highest charting single for Drapht to date. The single was also accredited an ARIA platinum certification.
The Life of Riley was released 1 April 2011 and was the first release on Drapht’s own label The Ayems, which is distributed through Sony Music. The album debuted at #1 on the ARIA Album Chart and was the first Australian artist to do so in 2011. The second track to be taken from the album was "Sing It (The Life of Riley)".
INSOMNIA
Drapht Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nights getting longer, long as luke longley
Smallest sound is like a kombi van, back firing
Was a comedy camera hired up in on this nightmare
Nah I wish it was a nightmare
Then a least I'd be asleep in my bed
My eyes bright red, feel like death by bed
Weighed down cause my heads like lead
From weed paraphernalia or taking valium, I tried it
Every herbal remedy diet, from reading to writing
Nothing makes me tired
My mind racing, sleep deprivation
The only one awake playing the waiting game
I'm facing the sun in an hour
Everyone seems to be sound asleep
Insomnia
I can't eat, feeling the heat, can't sleep
Insomnia
It's just me and the sounds of police on the street
Insomnia
I can't eat, feeling the heat, can't sleep
Insomnia
No retreat cause I never thought it'd happen to me
Feel like I'm in a parallel, paranoid, paradise
Every word on repeat like a parrots life
Every beat in my head starts to paralyze
Fahrenheit rising, feeding the parasites
Like a satellite analyze the world cause I'm up again
Antagonize by every gust of wind
Must have been a comatose in my last life
Now I lie awake like puffin on a glass pipe
Can't hide and tryna count sheep
Count three thousand and thirty three man please I need my z's
I'm tossing and turnin
Determined to kill tyler durban and beat the
Insomnia insomnia
Strands of light on the bedroom floor
Strands of light on the bedroom floor
I'm locked on nocturnal
Can't watch the clock or stop the time turning
Nothing that the doctor concocts is working
Only the warlock can drop the curse on this earthling
The worst thing I work in three hours
Can only scream like a werewolf howling
Hope I'm powered by moonlight soon might
My crew are like? sucks to be you right?
Too right yeah sucks to me friend
It's monotony like trying to find the seas end
Deep breathing I plead for a little sleep
I pass fatigue now I questioning my beliefs
I can't believe it
Can't remember the last eight hours sleep I had
All this anxiety is bad, my brain won't stop
Find ya losing track of the days when you got
Insomnia
I can't eat, feeling the heat, can't sleep
Insomnia
It's just me and the sounds of police on the street
Insomnia
I can't eat, feeling the heat, can't sleep
Insomnia
No retreat cause I never thought it'd happen to me me
In the song "Insomnia" by Drapht, the artist describes the difficulty of falling asleep due to his racing mind and inability to calm down. He feels like a zombie, unable to rest, and the smallest sounds are amplified in his head. He has tried every remedy he knows, from herbal remedies to writing, but nothing seems to help him sleep. He describes feeling trapped in a parallel, paranoid paradise, with every word and beat repeating in his head like a broken record. He is facing the sun in a few hours, while everyone else is sound asleep. Despite his exhaustion, he is unable to retreat from his sleeplessness.
The lyrics of "Insomnia" are relatable to anyone who has experienced difficulty sleeping due to stress, anxiety, or having too much on their mind. The artist does a great job of describing the feeling of being trapped in your own thoughts and unable to turn off your brain. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the relentlessness of insomnia and how it can feel all-consuming.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel like a zombie, slumber's beyond me
I am so exhausted that I feel like a zombie and can't fall asleep
Nights getting longer, long as luke longley
The nights feel endless and seem to last as long as a basketball game with player Luke Longley
Smallest sound is like a kombi van, back firing
Even the slightest noise such as a car misfiring sounds extremely loud and disruptive
Was a comedy camera hired up in on this nightmare
This situation seems so unreal and ridiculous that it feels like it's all just a joke
Nah I wish it was a nightmare
As unbearable as this is, I wish it was just a bad dream that I could wake up from
Then a least I'd be asleep in my bed
If this were a nightmare, I could at least find comfort in the fact that I'm actually asleep in my bed
My eyes bright red, feel like death by bed
I look and feel terrible after many sleepless nights, and it's taking a toll on my overall health
Weighed down cause my heads like lead
My head feels heavy and it's difficult to focus or think clearly
Like ned kelly belly up, nothing stops me getting up
Despite feeling exhausted, I am still able to get up and function like Australian folk hero Ned Kelly
From weed paraphernalia or taking valium, I tried it
I have tried various remedies such as cannabis and prescription medication but nothing seems to help
Every herbal remedy diet, from reading to writing
I've tried every natural remedy, diet, and activity such as reading and writing, but nothing seems to put me to sleep
Nothing makes me tired
No matter what I do, I can't seem to get tired enough to fall asleep
My mind racing, sleep deprivation
My thoughts are racing and I'm experiencing the effects of sleep deprivation
The only one awake playing the waiting game
I am the only one awake and feel like I'm just waiting for something to happen
I'm facing the sun in an hour
Morning is fast approaching and I still haven't been able to fall asleep
Everyone seems to be sound asleep
Despite my inability to sleep, everyone else around me seems to be able to sleep just fine
Feel like I'm in a parallel, paranoid, paradise
I feel like I'm in an alternate reality that is both surreal and unsettling
Every word on repeat like a parrots life
My thoughts and worries are on a constant loop, like a parrot repeating the same words over and over
Every beat in my head starts to paralyze
The constant racing in my mind is starting to have a physical effect and make me feel paralyzed
Fahrenheit rising, feeding the parasites
My body temperature is increasing and it feels like my worries and anxiety are only growing stronger
Like a satellite analyze the world cause I'm up again
I feel like I'm observing the world from a distance, like a satellite looking down from space
Antagonize by every gust of wind
Every little thing is making me feel annoyed and frustrated, even something as simple as the wind blowing
Must have been a comatose in my last life
If I slept this poorly in a past life, then I must have been in a coma the entire time
Now I lie awake like puffin on a glass pipe
I'm wide awake and it feels like I've been smoking a stimulant like glass pipe
Can't hide and tryna count sheep
Even counting sheep, a common method for inducing sleep, doesn't work for me
Count three thousand and thirty three man please I need my z's
I've tried counting for so long that I've reached the thousands, but I still can't sleep and desperately need some rest
Determined to kill tyler durban and beat the
I feel like I could take on anyone or anything at this point, including the fictional character Tyler Durden from the movie 'Fight Club'
Strands of light on the bedroom floor
I can see strands of sunlight coming through the window and illuminating the floor
I'm locked on nocturnal
I am stuck in an endless cycle of staying awake at night
Can't watch the clock or stop the time turning
I am unable to distract myself by checking the time or stopping time from moving forward
Nothing that the doctor concocts is working
Even the medication prescribed by my doctor isn't helping me fall asleep
Only the warlock can drop the curse on this earthling
It feels like only someone with supernatural powers can lift this curse that is preventing me from sleeping
The worst thing I work in three hours
I have to go to work in a few hours and the thought of being awake all night and then working is daunting
Can only scream like a werewolf howling
I feel like I'm at my breaking point and the only thing I can do is scream like a werewolf
Hope I'm powered by moonlight soon might
I hope I'll have some sort of energy or power to get through the day after being awake all night, like a werewolf fueled by moonlight
My crew are like? sucks to be you right?
My friends and colleagues may sympathize with my situation, but they are still able to sleep and leave me feeling alone
Too right yeah sucks to me friend
It definitely sucks to be me and experience such severe insomnia
It's monotony like trying to find the seas end
The constant cycle of insomnia and exhaustion feels never-ending and futile, like trying to find the end of the sea
Deep breathing I plead for a little sleep
I try deep breathing and other methods to fall asleep, but I'm desperate and pleading for even just a little bit of sleep
I pass fatigue now I questioning my beliefs
I've surpassed the point of just being tired and now I'm questioning whether I'll ever be able to sleep normally again
Can't remember the last eight hours sleep I had
I've been awake for so long that I can't even remember the last time I was able to sleep for eight hours
All this anxiety is bad, my brain won't stop
The constant worry and anxiety is taking a toll on my mental health and my brain won't stop racing
Find ya losing track of the days when you got
The days are starting to blur together and I'm losing track of time due to my insomnia
Insomnia
The repeated mention of 'insomnia' emphasizes the severity and impact of this condition on the artist's life
I can't eat, feeling the heat, can't sleep
The artist is unable to eat and feels hot and restless, making it impossible for them to sleep
It's just me and the sounds of police on the street
The artist is alone and the only sounds they can hear are the police sirens outside
No retreat cause I never thought it'd happen to me
The singer feels trapped and unable to escape their insomnia, as they never thought they would be afflicted by it
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANIEL RANKINE, PAUL RIDGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind