OneFour documentary Against All Odds ignores victims of deadly postcode war, advocates claim

A documentary profiling Sydney drill rap band OneFour does not mention any victims of the Postcode wars which saw more than 10 young men die due to knife crime over a three-year period.

A documentary profiling Sydney hip hop and drill band OneFour does not mention any victims of the post code wars which saw more than 10 young men die due to knife crime over a three-year period.

Called Against All Odds, the Netflix programme has been labelled insensitive by victims of crime advocate Howard Brown and insulting to those people whose relatives died because of youth gang violence.

While there has never been any suggestion the group have been involved in any deaths or Postcode incidents, or incited those involved, some believe the group should take a stance on violence happening in their local community.

“I know they argue they are not inciting the violence but they should actively speak out against these postcode gangs and the damage it has done,” said Mr Brown.

“I have dealt with and am still involved with some of the victims families and glorifying the music that promotes this culture can be very distressing to them,” he said.

“I haven’t seen it but was very disappointed when I was told there are no voices of victims addressed in the show or any real message against violence or gang life,’’ he said.

Spenny, Celly and Lekks of OneFour attend the world premiere screening of their film at SXSW Sydney on October 16, 2023. Picture: Getty Images

In the week leading up to the screening, Frank Bosco, 21, a member of OneFour was charged over the alleged stabbing of man outside a city nightclub in July.

He was charged with cause grievous bodily harm with intent to murder, wounding in company and affray.

Police allege Bosco and two other men approached a 25-year-old man armed with knives on the party district on July 29 and stabbed him multiple times. he was refused bail to appear in Downing centre on December 21.

A preview was held in Sydney last week, before it goes onto the streaming platform next week and follows the band over the past four years.

In 2022, the Daily Telegraph produced a six-part documentary called Young Bloods where the names of the victims were prominent and family members given the opportunity to talk about the influence of rap and drill music and the loss of loved ones in the postcode wars.

OneFour formed by a group of five Pacific islander teenagers from Mount Druitt in 2014 named YP, Lekks, JM, Spenny and Celly14 and soon became very popular.

Some members of the group came to the attention of police when they were involved in a violent assault at pub in western sydney.

Mak Muon was killed in a road rage incident related to post code wars in Emu Plains in 2020. Picture: Instagram

Uati "Pele" Faletolu, A teenager stabbed to death in a violent fight at the Royal Easter Show which was at the height of escalation of the postcode wars. Picture: TikTok

It was around the same time that youth violence was escalating particularly in the western suburbs in what was to become known as the postcode wars.

In 2018, three of the members, Pio Misa (YP), Salec (Lekks) Sua and Dahcell (Celly) Ramos were all involved in a violent brawl at a pub in Rooty Hill and sentenced to jail terms for reckless grievous bodily harm, but the ferocity of the crime is glossed over in the documentary.

It doesn't detail in the brawl YP as he is known used a chair leg to hit a man while Celly attacked another with a hammer, leaving him unconscious.

The only time that the documentary addresses the fact that the postcode wars have led to people dying is when they quote a song.

“But one got knocked that makes them 20,‘’ they sang referring to the death of Tino Henry, 20 a member of the 21 District gang based in Parramatta and in conflict with the outer western suburbs group.

The producers and band members declined to respond to the criticism by Mr Brown but said the film is a portrait of an ongoing cultural controversy still playing out today.

Against All Odds goes to extreme lengths to portray NSW Police, and particularly the Raptor Squad as unfairly targeting the group when it was to play in public, saying there was a danger to the community when the band played certain venues.

“We make no apology for that,‘’ said Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Weinstein from NSW police.