Sydney rapper takes out gold at World Championship of Performing Arts

An unsigned Sydney artist has taken out gold at the World Championship of Performing Arts.

Parramatta rapper Daniel Harvey Palu, aka D. Minor, returned from California last month as the winner in the vocal rap category, beating out second and third place holders France and Trinidad.

Described as ‘the performance Olympics’, the WCOPA sees performers from more than 40 countries compete across more than 100 categories.

Palu penned the track SYD 2 LBC especially for the event. Speaking to TMN, Palu said the song is about his journey from being homeless in Sydney to performing on a world stage.

“I found myself homeless at the age of 11 due to a violent and neglectful home situation,” he said. “I was left abandoned with only the passion of music left in me.

“I would sleep next to bakeries for warmth and steal my food wherever I could,” Palu said. “I had no hope left and my future was a cluster of grey, gloomy clouds with very little light shining through.”

Community organisations including Homeless No More and Youth Off The Streets helped finance Palu’s trip to the US, contributing to the raise the $3,900 he needed to compete.

“Music was always something that helped me express my feelings,” Palu added. “[I never knew] that one day my rap lyrics would allow me to compete at the World Championships of Performing Arts over in Los Angeles and win a gold medal for Australia in Vocal Rap. To have even been selected to represent Australia is something that I'm still in shock about.”

While Palu is currently wholly independent, he self-funded a music video for his winning song and regularly performs at youth events in Western Sydney. Palu is also a student at the Australian Institute of Music, studying a Bachelor of Composition and Production.

Palu has again been invited to represent Australia at the 20th annual WCOPA, which will be held in Hollywood from July 10-19 next year.