In 1982, Raiders owner Al Davis beat the NFL in court and moved his team from Oakland to Los Angeles. With a squad as colorful as its owner, the Raiders captivated a large number of black and Hispanic fans in L.A. at a time when gang warfare, immigration and the real estate boom were rapidly changing the city. The L.A. Raiders morphed into a worldwide brand as the team’s colors, swagger and anti-establishment ethos became linked with the hip-hop scene that was permeating South Central Los Angeles. Rapper-turned-filmmaker Ice Cube was not only witness to this evolution, he was also a part of it. As a member of the notorious rap group N.W.A, Ice Cube helped make the silver and black culturally significant to a new generation and demographic. Still a die-hard Raiders fan, Cube will explore the unlikely marriage between the NFL’s rebel franchise and America’s glamour city and show how pro football’s outlaw team became the toast of La La Land.
Personal Statement
In 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected president, few white kids were listening to Rap and I was an 11-year-old kid in South Central Los Angeles. I was into sports and watched as many games as I could on TV—the Lakers, USC Football, UCLA, but I hadn’t developed a connection to any particular football team. But that fall, something clicked as I watched the Oakland Raiders.
It wasn’t just that they were good. They had style and they had swagger: the silver-and-black uniforms, the pirate logo, the players who played tougher and looked cooler than anyone else. There was Lester Hayes with his Stickum and Star Wars visor, Rod Martin flying all over the field making tackles, and owner Al Davis scowling from the stands in his white jumpsuit and thug sunglasses. When the team moved to L.A. in 1982, it was one of the greatest days of my life. My team was now in my city—and everything was about to change.
I wanted to make this film for two simple reasons: 1) I’ve been a Raiders fan for most of my life and 2) My music career will probably always be linked, in one way or another, with the Raiders’ era in Los Angeles. The Raiders played in L.A. from 1982 to 1994—just 13 seasons—but during that time, the team’s colors, aura and superstar players became a phenomenon. And to put it bluntly, I had a lot to do with that.
The music, lyrics and images that I created with N.W.A as a solo artist and as an actor helped turn the Raiders into something more than a football team. It’s been 21 years since we released “Straight Outta Compton,” but to this day, kids all over the world buy Raiders gear, imitate the “Gangster Rap” style and try to connect with the South Central L.A. vibe that we brought to the masses. Over the years a lot of people have written books about the history of hip-hop, the cross-marketing of sports and entertainment, and the influence of Rap music on youth culture. Now it’s time for me to tell the story of how it really went down.
And it starts with the Silver and Black.
