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The Las Vegas Raiders' move to the desert was a highly acrimonious one. Even now it's still subject to legal action currently going through the court system. A large majority of the Raiders fanbase were not best pleased with the team upping sticks and relocating to Sin City.
One fan of the Silver and Black, who did not want to see the team take up residency in Vegas, is hip hop legend Ice Cube. However, it was not because he preferred an extended stay in Oakland, as he would have rather seen the team move back to Los Angeles.
Lifelong fan and president of the Raider Nation, Ice Cube had the following to say about his efforts to convince Roger Goodell to rethink his plans for the former San Diego Chargers:
"I told him, you know, move the Raiders to LA. The Chargers are gonna get booed out there. So, you know, I've always been, you know, hitting, you know, hitting him up and kind of giving me my two cents just as a fan. Just as somebody you know, who loves the NFL a lot of product."
The hip hop icon continued, explaining how his relationship with the commissioner helped him going forward:
"When it was time to actually do something like this, it just made it easier because I already knew Roger. And you know, when you sit in at the top and you say, 'hey, get some done.' That doesn't mean it always happens, you know, in a hurry, but you know, what I saw in Roger and Troy that they stayed on top of this and made sure it happened."
He was referring to his recently signed partnership with the NFL called the Contract with Black America Institute. This is an initiative led by the rapper, with the intent of increasing economic equity and partnerships with Black-owned businesses.
Ice Cube and his love of the Las Vegas Raiders
Over the years, Ice Cube's love for all things Silver and Black has been well documented. He became a fan of the team aged 14. In 2021 the N.W.A original explained how he first fell for the Raiders.
In an interview with the Las Vegas Review Journal, he said:
"And then they moved to Los Angeles. So that was unbelievable in ‘82, and I was a little older, so I could really understand and accept them and be a diehard fan. And then, by the time they won the Super Bowl, you know, I’m 14 years old and I already knew that this was my squad for life. And so, I’ve been a Raider fan ever since."
In 2010, the Jump Street star directed ESPN's 30 for 30 special "Straight Out of LA," which chronicled the Raiders' 1982 move from Los Angeles to Oakland. The rapper has involved himself in various other Raiders-related work, including the release of Raider Nation. This is a song dedicated to his love of the team, which incorperates samples of "The Autumn Wind," the sports-themed poem adopted by the franchise.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit The Pat McAfee Show, Las Vegas Review Journal and H/T Sportskeeda.
