neFour might be the most beleaguered act in Australia right now. Since their debut six years ago, the western Sydney drill pioneers have accrued millions of streams, scored three Aria nominations, and received support from the likes of hip-hop superstars Skepta, Dave, A$AP Ferg and The Kid Laroi – yet they’ve been prevented from playing live, again and again, by police.
Against All Odds documents the sheer scale of policing the rappers have experienced: unrelenting surveillance, raids to their homes, and pressure on venues to cancel OneFour shows – which has worked almost every time. In one of the film’s most chilling moments, we hear a voice recording from a police sergeant: “I’m going to use everything in my power to make your life miserable until you stop doing what you’re doing.”At the film’s SXSW Sydney premiere in October, the same tensions emerged.
Throughout the documentary, however, the NSW police seem to go back and forth about whether their actions are targeted or a part of “standard” practices. At one point, a police superintendent, Jason Weinstein, states directly to camera, “We will make sure that we are lawfully harassing that group.” In 2019, a national tour was cancelled by venues; a sergeant later told thethat OneFour’s music was “inciting violence”.