A member of Australian rap group OneFour has been jailed for four years after smashing a chair leg over a man's head during a pub brawl in western Sydney last year.
Rapper Pio Misa, 19, who is known as YP, was jailed over several charges including reckless grievous bodily harm after a violent stoush at the Carousel Inn at Rooty Hill last July.
The Sydney District Court heard Misa was with a group of young men when they became involved in an argument with two other men in the pub's pokies room.
The court heard Misa pulled a chair leg out from under his clothes and hit one of the men, Anthony Hayward, twice in the back of the head.
Mr Hayward backed away before Misa hit him for a third time.
In sentencing, Justice James Bennett described the back and forth between the two groups as "racial comments, perhaps extending to slurs".
He accepted that Misa had shown genuine remorse and his prospects for rehabilitation were good.
But he also accepted the prosecutor's argument that only a custodial sentence would do and said it was "appalling behaviour and a vicious attack".
"Punishment must follow," Justice Bennett told the court.
Misa was sentenced to four years in prison, with a two year non-parole period, and will eligible for parole in December, 2021.
A former OneFour member, Dahcell Ramos, was sentenced to 10 years prison over the same brawl.
The court heard Ramos pulled a hammer from his jacket and hit another man in the head several times.
He will be eligible for parole in September 2024.
It is the latest setback for the Mount Druitt "drill" rap group, whose music videos have gone viral.
"Just when we thought we were doing okay, we hit another obstacle," the band said in a statement on social media last night.
"We know YP [Misa] would of loved to perform for everyone and he appreciated all the love and support you send him."
The group last week confirmed they had cancelled their national tour after venues in Melbourne and Adelaide pulled out.
OneFour's management said it believed the venues cancelled due to pressure from NSW Police.
The band also confirmed another member, Jerome Misa, known as JM, was yesterday denied entry to New Zealand by immigration officials.
"It has been a tough month and also a tough day," the band said in the same statement.
NSW Police has previously denied exerting pressure on music venues to cancel the rap group's concerts.
A police spokesperson told triple j's Hack last week said the decision to cancel their events were made by the venue.
