Paul Gary James Ridge, better known by the stage name Drapht, is an Australian hip hop artist from Perth. Drapht is a former member of the Syllaboliks crew, a collective that includes fellow Perth-based hip hop artists such as Downsyde.Drapht grew up in Inglewood, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth. His father, Gary Ridge, a jazz drummer introduced Drapht to music from a very young age—he first experienced hip hop at the age of eight, The name "Drapht" is based on a Western Australian Swan Brewery beer, Swan Draught; the company's logo was written on a watch that his father brought home when Drapht was 13 or 14,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