1300: Sydney’s first K-rap crew, breaking down barriers and smashing expectations

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Breakthrough 2022

Western Sydney probably isn’t the place you’d think to find a Korean rap supergroup – but that is exactly the playground for your new favourite boy band, 1300.

With their knack for laying down razor sharp verses over the top of huge catchy beats – with perfect harmony and chemistry between each band member – the five-member crew have quickly carved out a niche in the Aussie music scene, amassing a following of very passionate fans along the way.

With just four singles in hand, the group’s creative chemistry is undeniable, 1300 (pronounced one three hundred) managing to step things up with every release – experimenting with glitchy synths, 808s, gritty production, lightspeed flow and more, and blending various genres to craft high-energy hip hop that sees the crew effortlessly rapping between English and Korean throughout.

It’s the sort of sound that you can’t quite characterise or explain, music that can only be understood when you feel the energy it creates – and the best part is, whether you can understand the lyrics or not, 1300’s energy is universal.

1300 – Oldboy (Official Music Video)

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The group’s five super-talented members made up of Korean-Australian rappers and producers – Nerdie, Rako, PokariSweat, Goyo and Dali Hart – first met at a listening party for fellow Korean-Australian artist Yura’s EP.

Originally, Rako, Goyo and Dali Hart were only reaching out to Nerdie and pokari for their own solo projects, but after all meeting up at pokari’s studio one day, their first song was quickly brought to life – and soon after so was 1300.

For a quick run-down on the crew, Rako, Goyo, and Dali Hart look after the rapping, pokari.sweat is on production and Nerdie covers both – together pushing the limits to craft their chaotic, forward-thinking, genre-bending sounds.

It was their debut single ‘Brr’ that kicked things off in style. Dropping in January 2021, the track received attention from Korean rappers Paloalto and Lil Boi as well as critics and tastemakers across Australia. From there, two more singles followed across the year (‘No Caller ID’ in March and ‘SMASHMOUTH’ five months after) – each showing something entirely new, building on the craft and versatility shown on its predecessor, and proving that 1300 were no one-trick ponies.

Then, 1300 stormed into 2022 with their most ambitious single yet, ‘Oldboy’. Paying homage to the Park Chan-wook film of the same name, and squeezing as much as the crew can into its two and a half minutes, there is a lot going on but all of it is crafted with absolute creative freedom, and we are loving every second of it.

1300 – No Caller iD (Official MV)

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But, it’s on the stage that 1300’s music truly comes to life. And even though they have only had a few chances so far to show it off, each performance proves that live is exactly what 1300’s music is made for. Turning the energy up to 110, the group ensure that you don’t need to be able to singalong to get on their level.

They’ve already help down support slots for the likes of Genesis Owusu, Shady Nasty, Jono Ma, Taka Perry, 3K, Kota Banks, and more, while receiving early support from triple j, unearthed, FBi Radio, The Drip, Spotify, Acclaim Magazine, Rolling Stone Australia and NME Australia, as well as featuring in JD Sports and Nike’s ‘Style On Speed Dial’ campaign. And with appearances at King St Carnival, Yours and Owls Festival, and Splendour In The Grass already locked in for 2022, the year is looking very good.

With creativity, versatility, and skill on show at the highest level, 1300 are sure to continue to surprise fans and critics alike. Every track so far has shown a different side to the group, yet tied together by their uncompromising energy and creative flair, each is instantly recognisable as 1300.

There are no limits to what 1300 can do, the group is sure of that, instead they hope they can inspire other artists to do the same thing – to not only push the boundaries, but to completely shatter them.

And if that’s the energy 1300 are taking through 2022, we can’t wait to see what they get up to next.

1300 – Smashmouth (Official MV)