ONEFOUR Manager Resigns: ‘It’s Been A Privilege To Be A Part Of These Young Men’s Lives’

ONEFOUR’s longtime manager, Ricky Simandjuntak, has announced he’s stepping away from the controversial drill group.

READ MORE: Why Are NSW Police Silencing ONEFOUR And The Voices Of Australian Rap?

The news came in a post shared on LinkedIn yesterday (January 22), wherein Simandjuntak expressed gratitude for the five years he spent working with ONEFOUR. He wrote: “Looking back at the last five years, I’m proud of our achievements together, particularly having faced so many obstacles.

“It’s been a privilege to be a part of these young men’s lives as they've grown from teenagers into community leaders, providers for their families and opportunity creators, on top of being some of the most talented and accomplished artists to emerge from Western Sydney.”

Simandjuntak went on to boast that he’s “particularly proud of helping to shape the new West Sydney identity, and bring attention to the immense talent of our young creative people”. He shared an extra shoutout to the wider ONEFOUR team, saying he has “a lot of people to thank for their hard work, unwavering belief, and support”.

In closing, the local legend – whose past also includes work with trailblazers like The Kid LAROI and Becca Hatch – said he felt “really privileged to have worked alongside some insanely talented people”, and noted that “managing a group like ONEFOUR would never have been possible without [their] contributions”.

At the time of writing, Simandjuntak hasn’t said exactly why he’s wrapping up with ONEFOUR, or what his next endeavour will be; TheMusic.com.au have reached out for comment.

Simandjuntak first linked up with ONEFOUR in 2018, following the release of their breakout single Ready For War a year prior. Since then, the group has grown to be one of the biggest in Australian hip-hop... And, of course, one of the most controversial. Their whirlwind story was chronicled in the Netflix documentary ONEFOUR: Against All Odds, which arrived last November.

Earlier this month, NSW Police uncovered an alleged plot to murder four members of ONEFOUR, arresting two men in conjunction with the conspiracy as part of a wider raid on an international crime syndicate. The bombshell came just weeks after it was reported that embattled member Pio ‘YP’ Misa plans to walk away from the group.

Reviewing ONEFOUR’s set at last year’s Listen Out festival in Melbourne (Naarm), this writer opined the group “had a blast onstage, clearly revelling in their fandom’s buoyancy” and “made the most of every second in their 20-minute set, [spitting] every bar with visceral passion as they leapt around the stage”.