Hunt for hooded gunman and rapper in brazen bowser hit

A Sydney rapper is wanted by police investigating the ambush murder of an underworld figure by hooded men at a petrol station.

The murder of 31-year-old Niddal Acherkouk took place at a BP in the central Sydney suburb of Surry Hills after he'd finished having dinner at a nearby Turkish restaurant.

Acherkouk had parked his car at the fuel station when he was ambushed by two masked gunmen, who shot him about 7.45 pm on November 22, 2024 after he tried to flee.

One of the assailants was wearing a poncho.

Homicide squad detectives investigating the murder on Thursday announced they had applied for a warrant for Harley Johan, 31, who goes by the rap name YC EWZY.

He is believed to be overseas, with detectives applying for a warrant for his arrest in September.

A YouTube clip of his song Reckless released in March which has garnered more than 25,000 views is described as "a vivid picture of the city's darker side, caught up in cycles of violence, guns and drugs ... where survival often comes at a high price."

The two-minute video opens with a scene of masked gunman jumping out of a car and killing a driver as he pulls into an underground car park.

A locked Instagram account bearing his name has more than 6000 followers.The brazen attack was captured on CCTV and released by NSW Police on Thursday as they appeal for public help to identify one of the gunmen.

The man in the footage is seen wearing a black Nike hooded jacket, blue track pants and Nike runners before jumping back in a grey Porsche and speeding off with his accomplice.

The luxury car was later found alight in Kensington, with police believing the gunmen fled in another stolen white Audi hatchback.

Investigations under Strike Force Moorlands are ongoing.

Dozens of public shootings, arson attacks and kidnappings across Sydney in late 2024 led police to set up the 150-officer-strong Taskforce Falcon in May to crush the underworld warfare.