The ONEFOUR documentary sharing Western Sydney with the world - triple j (2024)

ONEFOUR: Against All Odds hit Netflix globally last week. Directed by Sydney filmmaker Gabriel Gasparinatos, alongside producers Erin Moy, Jennifer Peedom and Sharah Noonan the film highlights how intrinsically bound the Western Sydney based rap group's career trajectory was in relation with the NSW Police.

The journey begins in their hometown of Mount Druitt where three members of the group, J Emz, SpennyandYP (who were out of jail at the time of filming) describe their progression into a world of trouble. While the outside world labelled ONEFOUR a 'gang', they described it as a 'family' -one they would protect at all costs.

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'The Message'

When ONEFOUR went viral with their 2019 single 'The Message', the global hip-hop community learnedabout a different side of Australian culture.

The music video opened a vignette into a world that was the antithesis to the Home & Away, sun soaked, beach blonde, wonderland that Australia had been portrayed as.

'The Message' was influenced by UK drill -a genre that is defined by its association with crime, violence and hardship via an adversarial style of lyricism. For the first time, no longer were the crimes and violence far away in the northern hemisphere. They were in our own backyard too, performed by a group of Samoan Australians from Australia's most infamous suburb, Mount Druitt.

There's no denying the track changed Australian hip-hop history. On one side, people heralded it as a necessary cultural revolution in the local scene, with the rappers skyrocketing to international success and receiving praise by some of the biggest artists in the world.

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For some it was a terrifying prospect for the state of youth crime in Sydney's deep west. Lyrics depicting the underbelly of Australian gang violence sat outside the realm of freedom of expression.

While the streets and the hip-hop community labelled it as an inspiring new era for the genre in Australia, the NSW Police Force's Sergeant Nathan Truemansuggested that the group's lyrics would incite violence.

The process for the documentary began four years ago, where Gasparinatos intended to make a short piece for the group's social media.

From there, it evolved.

"[It was] something that was maybe going to be 10 minutes for TV, and then 20 minutes for YouTube, it kind of kept on growing and growing," Moy said.

"Because the story just got more and more complex and dense and more kept on happening."

"I think we would be lying if we said we had like a super clear plan when we started this journey."

Despite the wholesale changes to its structural intention, the themes of the film never changed.

Moy told triple j it was, "about ONEFOUR on their journey, but it was also about conflict and tension between them and the police that always stayed the same and was always a central part of it."

Esky, a youth worker at The Street University in Mount Druitt where ONEFOUR first recorded their songs, described the cultural context of the groups rise as "ayin and yang".

"You have the street, and then you have the music."

Their rise to rap stardom in Australia burst following the release of their singles 'The Message','Spot The Difference' and 'Ladz In The Hood'.

UK Rap titan Dave requested they support him on his 2019 tour, but the NSW Police stated that the promoters and venues did not have "the safety that needs to be provided for this event to go ahead". ONEFOUR was removed from supporting Dave at the Sydney leg.

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The same would happen right across the country for their debut national headline tour later the same year, with the group being forced to cancel all their dates in Australia.

Luckily, one show in New Zealand remained as scheduled. Three of the members (Pio "YP" Misa, Dahcell "Celly" Ramos and Salec "Lekks" Su'a) were awaiting sentencing for a 2018 Rooty Hill pub brawl, so they couldn’t travel with the group, so it was left to J Emz and Spenny to take the ONEFOUR parade to Auckland.

As they arrived at the airport, thegroupwere told by the New Zealand Border Force that J Emz was denied entry to the country due to his "priorcriminal record." While he was detained, the group found out that their actions in Rooty Hill wouldput the three ONEFOURmembers behind bars for a period of time, leaving Lekks to perform the show by himself.

Erin Moy commented on the relationship and emotional involvement of the film as ONEFOUR battled their most difficult period.

“It's just been an amazing journey to get close to them and get into their lives in," she told triple j.

"There's some really kind of emotional raw stuff and that I think that was hard for all of us. There was plenty of days where there was lots of tears in the edit suite. It was a wild and overwhelming experience.”

As ONEFOUR regrouped following this turmoil, the story turns from one of a series of tragically unfortunate events to one of resistance and inspiration. This peaks at the release of 'Home & Away'.

"Yeah I come from Mounty / That's home of the brave / Out here we at war with the cops like Brax But this ain't home and away / I didn't grow up 'round all those beaches But I still got bro's at the bay.”

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'Home And Away'

Journalist Osman Faruqi beautifully summarised the importance of the track in the group's documentary.

"ONEFOUR grew up watching Home & Away and not seeing themselves represented," he said. "They want the next generation of kids growing up not to be focused on what's happening at the bay, but to realise the lives they live are as valid of being represented and of telling stories about."

Gasparinatos also commented on the importance of this moment to cement the ethos of the documentary.

"In the same way, that one for making music that tells the story of a different side of Australia that exists, but you might not know about, we really wanted to make a film that did a similar thing," he said.

"A lot of Australian films deal a sun-kissed kind of image of Australia that it puts out there. We wanted to make a film that tells a completely different story and a story that is the lived experience in reality for a lot of people."

The lyrics resonate with the general oscillating theme of the talking heads throughout, from the NSW Police force to the array of journalists and community members they utilise.

"We've got a long way to go in terms of the type and culture we're willing to accept and represent," journalist Mahmood Fahzal stated in the film.

The Kid LAROI

ONEFOUR did manage to get on stage during that period though, thanks to a seemingly unlikely hero in The Kid LAROI.

They had been linked from the start of their careers, connected by ONEFOUR's manager, Ricky Simandjuntak, when the group were just starting out.

Hailing him as a "genius" during his teenage years, ONEFOUR had seen LAROI grow up from just another boy from Redfern to becoming one of the biggest pop stars in the world.

As LAROI returned to Australia in 2022, he was dedicated to get ONEFOUR on stage in their hometown. After more setbacks,LAROI was successful in finally getting them on stage,performing to the city that raised them and propelled them to global fame.

Gasparinatos reflected on the importanceof LAROI in both the narrative of ONEFOUR and of the documentary.

"It was just so awesome for LAROI to come back at the end," he told triple j.

"Not only give us an interview and participate in the film, but also support ONEFOURby finally getting them on stage was just such a great testament to who he is as a guy and as an artist and I think jouranhe's willingness to support that group of old friends from way back says so much."

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Moy, who was shooting from the crowd during their appearance on stage with LAROI said, "when he came on and announced that he was going to be bringing ONEFOURit was crazy, peoplejust went mad.I got really emotional. It was super special."

Listen Out and beyond

Despite this thrilling and seemingly happy ending, ONEFOUR still struggle to make any public appearances.

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Just days after they were announced to perform at Listen Out and were nominated for an ARIA Award, YP returned to jail following a brawl in Western Sydney.In the documentary, YP reflects on the future of ONEFOUR.

"We've literally tried to go straight and narrow and they're taking our ability to work and fend for ourselves so they might think they can shut down one or two shows, all they're doing is building that fire bigger in me.

"I'm never going to stop now just 'cause of what they keep doing."

The ONEFOUR documentary sharing Western Sydney with the world - triple j (2024)
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