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)".
On And On
Drapht Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Aint the end aint the end of the world.
You write your own life,
Write your own song.
and write Ya own right,
and write your own wrong!
Cause life goes on. And on and on and on.
You write your own life,
Write your own song.
And write Ya own right,
and write your own wrong!
Cause life goes on...
Life goes on.
Going throught your life liveing out ya office space,
washing away your dreams,
bitchen on your coffee brake,
stop and take a litte look at your life.
Your just a robot and not optimus prime, more like a phonebox, watch the shit ya talking, burning knocked out like beef with Gorge Forman.,
Shaurn of the Dead, Zombie flick
world of blood suckin leeches and comedy skits. AHHH.
rich get rich, the poor get poor-er
if ya talkin bout being poor and ya bored of,
or ya water. bed sprung a leak then ya relize that aint a water bed underneath.
And ya still smoking a packet a day and ya hate it but cant give it up. All ya reall need is a slap to the face and a little wake the FUCK UP!
Coz NA.
It. Aint the end aint the end of the world.
Aint the end aint the end of the world.
You write your own life,
Write your own song.
and write Ya own right,
and write your own wrong!
Cause life goes on. And on and on and on.
It goes on and on and on.
You write your own life,
Write your own song.
and write Ya own right,
and write your own wrong!
Cause life goes on...
Life goes on.
(Tyah). Ya gotta sit back relax put ya feet up.
Wanna liva la vida,
Looking like you a leader.
Take ya breather,
Listen to me bleed over the beat,
Like a art with a rush stuck of Tina.
Turn the heat up
see the world react,
Then react like lindsy picken up girls in rehab (ohh.)
So negitive everyone take a seditive,
Cos the doctors said ya better give em medicine.
Late nights with Lettermen. It isn't heathly!
Ya think pills and feeling sorry for ya self is?
And ya girlfriends checkin out dudes,
Maybe cos ya girls bra looks beeter on you!
(NA...)
It. Aint the end aint the end of the world.
Aint the end aint the end of the world.
You write your own life,
Write your own song.
and write Ya own right,
and write your own wrong!
Cause life goes on. And on and on and on.
It goes on and on and on.
You write your own life,
Write your own song.
and write Ya own right,
and write your own wrong!
Cause life goes on...
Life goes on.
Ya gotta see that your, your own nemesis,
Thought are venomous,
So life throw ya lemons bigger the Ellen DeGeneres.
Elementary ya their ta make lemonade,
Or you could cry over you loosen the tenis game.
you could blame it on the rain or you could dancein it
or you could inflame inhance ya chances
And gettin stuck in an elervator playin hanson,
i'd rather be held from ransom by manson!
Handsom is as hansome does,
Judge a book by its cover and struggle to find love,
Ya work enuf! give a little to ya family!,
Finger to ya boss! and live ya fantisey life!
Cause NO!
It. Aint the end aint the end of the world.
Aint the end aint the end of the world.
You write your own life,
Write your own song.
And write Ya own right,
and write your own wrong!
Cause life goes on. And on and on and on.
It goes on and on and on.
You write your own life,
Write your own song.
And write Ya own right,
And write your own wrong!
Cause life goes on...
Life goes on.
The lyrics of Drapht's song "On And On" are about the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of taking control of your own life. The chorus, "It ain't the end, it ain't the end of the world," is a reminder that no matter what life throws at you, it's not the end and you can always keep going. The verses describe the struggles of everyday life, from working in an office and feeling like a robot, to smoking too much and feeling stuck in a rut. Despite these challenges, the song encourages listeners to "write your own life" and take ownership of their choices, both good and bad. The message is one of empowerment and perseverance, urging people to keep going even when things seem tough.
The verses of the song also touch on themes of societal inequality, with references to "the rich get rich, the poor get poorer" and the struggles of being in a lower socioeconomic class. The lyrics suggest that while these issues may seem daunting, it's important to focus on what you can control and make the best of your own life.
Overall, "On And On" is a powerful anthem of resilience and self-empowerment, with a message that's both relatable and inspiring.
Line by Line Meaning
It. Aint the end aint the end of the world.
Don't worry, life will continue
You write your own life,
You have control over the outcomes in your life
Write your own song.
You should take control of your own decisions
And write Ya own right,
You decide your own morals
and write your own wrong!
You must take responsibility for your actions
Cause life goes on. And on and on and on.
Life is a continuous journey
Going through your life living out your office space,
You're stuck in a monotonous routine
washing away your dreams,
You're not pursuing your true passions
bitchen on your coffee brake,
You're complaining about petty things
stop and take a little look at your life.
Take a moment to reflect on your choices
Your just a robot and not optimus prime, more like a phonebox, watch the shit ya talking, burning knocked out like beef with George Forman.
Don't be arrogant or overconfident
Shaun of the Dead, Zombie flick world of blood suckin leeches and comedy skits. AHHH.
Life can feel like a horror movie
rich get rich, the poor get poorer
Society can be unfair and unequal
if ya talking bout being poor and ya bored of, or ya water bed sprung a leak then ya realize that ain't a water bed underneath.
If you're trapped in a bad situation, you may begin to notice it at unusual times
And ya still smoking a packet a day and ya hate it but can't give it up.
You know what's bad for you, but it's hard to make a change
All ya real need is a slap to the face and a little wake the FUCK UP!
Sometimes you need a wake-up call to make changes
Ya gotta sit back relax put ya feet up. Wanna liva la vida, looking like you a leader.
Take a break and think about how you want to live
Take ya breather, Listen to me bleed over the beat, Like a art with a rush stuck of Tina.
Relax and listen to the music
Turn the heat up see the world react, Then react like Lindsay picking up girls in rehab
Challenge yourself to try new things and see how people react
So negative everyone take a sedative, Cos the doctors said ya better give em medicine. Late nights with Lettermen. It isn't healthy!
Society can be overly negative and harmful to mental health
Ya think pills and feeling sorry for ya self is?
Self-pity and medication may not solve your problems
And ya girlfriends checkin out dudes, Maybe cos ya girls bra looks better on you!
Don't be jealous and focus on yourself
Ya gotta see that your, your own nemesis, Thoughts are venomous, So life throw ya lemons bigger the Ellen DeGeneres.
Your own negative thoughts can be your biggest problem
Elementary ya their ta make lemonade, Or you could cry over you loosen the tennis game. you could blame it on the rain or you could dance in it or you could inflame enhance ya chances
You can choose how to handle setbacks and obstacles
And getting stuck in an elevator playing Hanson, I'd rather be held from ransom by Manson!
Don't waste your time on things or situations you don't enjoy
Handsom is as handsome does, Judge a book by its cover and struggle to find love, Ya work enuf! give a little to ya family!, Finger to ya boss! and live ya fantasy life!
Don't be superficial and put effort into what truly matters. Take care of your loved ones and don't let work consume your life
Cause NO!
Don't let negative thoughts consume you
Life goes on.
No matter what happens, life continues
Writer(s): Daniel Rankine, Paul Ridge Copyright: Blue Max Music Pty Ltd., Drapht Music
Contributed by Charlotte J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.