Friday, July 9, 2010

Straight Outta L.A.

Straight Outta L.A. is an offbeat entry in the 30 for 30 series and probably the most insignificant so far. It tells the story of how the cutthroat Oakland Raiders were moved to L.A. in the late 70s and how there merger with the violent L.A. was a match made in heaven. Directed by Ice Cube, he suggests that gangster rap helped promote the Raiders in that city and also helped contribute to its downfall and owner Al Davis' decision to return the team to Oakland. It was interesting in bits that actually involve Davis or the team, but I personally could really care less about Snoop Dogg's take on football or L.A. and I doubt that gangster rap groups such as NWA really did much good for the team or the sport. I just remember them turning the Raider's gear into gang clothes and ruining the team's image.
**1/2