LA Rams Schedule Release Video: Decoding the Hidden Gems You Might Have Missed (And the Obvious Ones, Too)

Themes

The video follows a Rams royal blue and yellow (Sol) lowrider on its trip from the start of the season to New Orleans, the host of Super Bowl LIX. The accompanying song, “Grinding All My Life” is by LA native, Nipsey Hussle (RIP). His song Last Time I Checc’d is also featured and is also the music played when the Rams take the field at SoFi Stadium.

Many of the stops along the journey to the Cresent City are given a film, television, or music world it exists in. Of course, major parts of those industries are based in LA. Much like movies this video is chalkfull of Easter eggs

The Lowrider

The lowrider is an iconic symbol of southern California with roots weaving through multiple cultures and generations of Angelinos. This is reminiscent of cars used in music videos of the late 80’s and 90’s era of the hip-hop movement that centered around Death Row recording artists, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, and Eazy-E, among others.

It isn’t a direct replica, but it’s hard not to think of the opening line of E’s 1987 single “Boyz in the Hood” “Cruisin’ down the street in my 6-4, Jockin’ the freaks, clockin’ the dough.” 6-4 refers to a 1964 Chevrolet Impala, a popular car to customize at the time.

Nipsey Hussle is also featured in a black lowrider on the cover of Victory Lap, his final album.

Intro

Sticking with the Eazy-E theme, the intro features a stylized version of six Rams players looking down at the camera, a la “Straight Outta Compton” album cover.

Players featured include Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Byron Young, Kobie
Turner, Kyren Williams. They replace Eazy’s gun with a football Nacua is holding. Williams throws the ubiquitous LA hand gesture, synonymous with the Dodgers logo. A parental advisory sticker appears in the lower left, but is ripped off. Another reference to 90’s music culture.

At Detroit Lions – Week 1

Theme: Eminem’s Discography:

• “The Eminem Show” album cover
• “Guess Who’s Back?” including Em’s signature backward ‘E’. Stafford’s back in Detroit, of course.
• Newspaper on the car (Featuring lyrics from Eminem’s hits)  Greatest in the World” lyric from the song Greatest, “Let’s Get Down to Business” lyric from a song called Business, “I Rapped for you”

At Arizona – Week 2

Theme: Dune (with a Breaking Bad Cameo)

• Dune takes place on a windswept uninhabitable desert..Arizona. Get it?
• 2 moons with eclipse 
• Ornithopter, a helicopter-like vehicle from the movie 
• The Popcorn bucket that everyone talked about because it was shaped like a sex toy.
• Meth Lab RV from Breaking Bad
• A sign labeled “STUDY HALL STADIUM THIS WAY” A reference to Kyler Murray‘s questionable game preparation habits.

49ers- Week 3

Theme: LA vs The Bay

• “Not Like Us” is a song by Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar, his recent diss track about Drake.
• “The Royal Tour” album title; Stay tuned for the meaning behind this.

At Bears – Week 4

Theme: Gotham City

• Batman director, Christopher Nolan used Chicago as his inspiration for Gotham in his adaptations.
• The fuel truck is labeled “Bears Tankers”
• The Final scene is what appears to be Puka Nacua walking toward the burning wreckage of the tanker crash, an homage to several scenes in Batman movies.
• “Bat Signal” of Rams and Bears Logo

Green Bay Packers – Week 5

Theme: Day After Tomorrow

• In the movie, a city is frozen over due to catastrophic climate events. Lambeau Field is the frozen tundra of the NFL.
• The lowrider is seen speeding down the LA River. Many movies have used the river as a location, including the Dark Night Rises, To Live & Die In LA, and Drive.
• A cheese head hat tumbles across the frozen river to close the scene.

Bye – Week 6

Kobie Turner and Byron Young take a moment to breath in the scenery of DTLA from Griffith Park

Las Vegas Raiders – Week 7

Theme: The Hangover

• The car zooms through a tunnel that is revealed to be a roulette table, which morphs into the rim of the lowrirder.
• Rams and Raiders dice hang from the rearview mirror, which reveals the baby from the Hangover in the back seat

Minnesota Vikings – Week 8

Theme: Game of Thrones

• Starts underwater where a chain with the initials KC is sinking to the bottom, denoting Kirk Cousin’s departure as well as references the viral video of Cousins rocking several platinum necklaces on the team plane.
• Viking helmets and gear scattered across the bottom of the ocean
• The camera surfaces to reveal a botched attempt by Viking ships to invade Los Angeles
• A message on the beach reading “S.O.S – JJ” , Justin Jefferson.

At Seattle Seahawks – Week 9

• Lowrider shows off its hydraulic functions while driving into Seattle
• Billboard reveals Lumen Field name change to Donald Field

Miami Dolphins – Week 10

Theme: Grand Theft Auto

• Based on GTA in Los Angeles. First GTA was set in Miami.
• “Cinco” graffiti is a reference to Jalen Ramsey, who now plays in Miami
• Los Rams Customs title is a parody of Los Santos Customs in-game.
• GTA menu with options for “upgrades” (different position groups), Byron Young spawns in as “Outside
• Linebacker” is selected. Young was selected using the pick gained in the Ramsey trade.
• Coach McVay is the mechanic.

At New England – Week 11

Theme: Fast and the Furious

• Gillette Stadium renamed Razor Stadium
• Lowrider shown drifting up the stadium lighthouse

Philadelphia Eagles – Week 12

Theme: Jurassic Park

• Port-a-Jon with Eagles Fan Inside scrawled on side. A reference to Eagles fans climbinb atop portable toilets during the teams Super Bowl Parade
• Eagle chases car, like the T-Rex does in the movie complete with famous ‘Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.’ reference.
• Eagle is smaller than first realized when it lands safely on Nacua’s extended arm.
• Giant bird footprint homage
• Rams vs Eagles banner falls to the ground as in the final T-Rex scene in original Jurassic Park.

At New Orleans Saints – Week 13

Theme: Bourbon Street

• Lowrider drives down Bourbon street, during Mardi Gras heading toward the Silverdome. Saints decorations line the street on one side, Rams on the other. New Orleans is a great city for opposing fan bases to visit, as the French Quarter is adorned with the visiting teams gear.
• Car does donuts in a parking lot while Kupp hangs out of the car, referencing Beyonce’s Formation video. Kids: Don’t try this at hom

Buffalo Bills – Week 14

Theme: Fast 5 (of the Fast and Furious franchise)

• A Bills Supra Races the Rams Lowrider through the streets of LA as they narrowly avoid being hit by a train and smash through a collection of folding tables

At San Francisco – Week 15

• Stafford and Kupp drive to San Francisco looking for Levi’s Stadium, but are unable to find it because they are based in Santa Clara, which is 45 mile south of SF.
• Highway Exit Sign Turn off to Santa Clara. “20-17” & “Exit 21”(reference to score of 2021 NFC Conference Champ game)
• Levi’s Stadium renamed “DENIM DEN”

At New York Jets – Week 16

Theme: Top Gun/Transformers

• Rams car turns into a jet and dogfights with green jet labeled with an 8 (Aaron Rodgers jersey number) and Veep (Rumors That RFK Jr. is considering Rodgers for his vice presidential candidate).
• Rams jet numbered 10 for Kupp

Arizona Cardinals – Week 17

Lowrider cruising down Whittier Blvd, a street in East LA. A small red cardinal rests on the streets recognizable signs.

Seattle Seahawks – Week 18

Theme: Blade Runner

• “RamsHouse” graffiti on tunnel wall
• Car morphs into futuristic flying car. Also, top is up on convertable for the first time.
• Footage of Geno Smith getting tackled by Aaron Donald plays on a billboard in the the background with a prominant “Oh My God” title screen. Geno Smith exclaimed this before getting sacked.
• Bookend L.A. hand gesture in neon in the background
• A Neon Rams Championship Ring Face
• “Everything you want to SEA” billboard. A reference to SEAttle as well as a nod to the seductive “Everything you want to see, Everything you want to hear” advertisement featured in Blade Runner 2049.
• Darious Williams pick-six against Seahawks footage

Outro

Lowrider returns to original form and is on the way into the desert, passing giant LA Rams Donuts shop, a homage to Randy’s famous donut shops. The final scene is reminisent of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which begins with the two main characters leaving LA headed to Las Vegas through the desert in a bright red convertable 1973 Chevrolet Caprice.