'This Is My Favorite Team'—Rap Icon Ice Cube on Raiders Fandom

When you think “superfan,” you conjure up many images if you follow the Las Vegas Raiders. The Violator, Dr. Death, and Gorilla Rilla, all of them come to mind. But one stands out due to his global musical impact and West Coast fame: Ice Cube. So, what’s the latest with the rap icon?

While appearing on Julian Edelman’s “Games With Names,” Cube briefly broke down the story behind his ardent fandom.

“It was watching them in that 1980s season. I was able to really clock the game better than ever. The best colors in sports, the best logo in sports, and the best name. The Raiders, for a football team, is a great name,” Cube said. While the team’s look certainly played a part, it was the Super Bowl win in Los Angeles that sealed the deal for him. “It all came together and they ended up winning the Super Bowl. I locked in and I was like, ‘Yo, this my favorite team.’ A year or so later, found out they was coming to LA. I just lost my s---. I was like, ‘Damn man, I love this team.'”

The West Coast, Ice Cube, and Raider Nation…

Most people who are familiar with Cube and his story, will recall he’s been proudly representing the Silver and Black since his days with N.W.A. In fact, that entire group were aficionados and repped those colors.

It was more than just a fashion statement. Those young men representing Compton, California helped make the Raiders become synonymous with the West Coast, Southern California, L.A., you name it. It also helped that the Raiders were a winning organization during the 1980s. Things changed once the organization entered the 1990s and eventually moved back to Oakland as Cube once chronicled in his “30 for 30” episode on ESPN.

With all of that being said, Cube has remained just as much of a loyal Raiders fan as anyone within Raider Nation. Through two relocations, ownership changes, a carousel of head coaches and general managers, the fans don’t go anywhere and neither does Ice Cube. Maybe 2025 will be the season when all of that ardent and unquestionable loyalty finally sees some reward.