The LA Rams schedule reveal video was released only last night, and everyone is still buzzing about it. And with good reason: it was the essence of So. Cal’s cool. Production value: Slick. The vibes are spot on. The subtle dig: Noice.
However, like with the city it portrays, if you blink, you’ll miss the greatest bits. So, at the LA Football Network, we assembled a crack team of experts to study and decipher all of the LA allusions, pop culture references, and delicious sweet shots fired* at other clubs and supporters.
*Some teams chose not-so-subtle insults. Looking at you, Chargers. Really? A Taylor Swift joke? Yawn.
Decoding the Los Angeles Rams Schedule Release Video: Race to New Orleans.
Screenshot 2024 05 17 @ 1.06.40 PM.Los Angeles Rams Schedule Release Video: Decoding the Hidden Gems You Might Have Missed (Along with the Obvious Ones) 23 themes.
The film follows a Rams royal blue and yellow (Sol) lowrider as it travels from the start of the season to New Orleans, the site of Super Bowl LIX. The accompanying song, “Grinding All My Life,” is by Nipsey Hussle (RIP), a Los Angeles native. His song Last Time I Checc’d is also featured, and it plays when the Rams enter the field at SoFi Stadium.
Many of the stations along the way to Cresent City are assigned to a certain film, television, or music realm. Of course, the majority of those industries are headquartered in Los Angeles. Like movies, this video is chock-full with Easter eggs
Screenshot of The Lowrider on May 17, 2024, at 1.30.04 PM.Los Angeles Rams Schedule Release Video: Decoding the Hidden Gems You Might Have Missed (Along with the Obvious Ones) 24
The lowrider is an iconic emblem of southern California, with origins spanning many cultures and generations of Angelenos. This is evocative of automobiles used in hip-hop music videos from the late 1980s and 1990s, which featured Death Row recording artists such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Eazy-E, among others.
It’s not an exact duplicate, but it’s difficult not to think of the first lyric of E’s 1987 hit “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, which was a popular vehicle to personalize at the period.
Nipsey Hussle’s final album, Victory Lap, likewise has him on a black lowrider on its cover.
Intro: LA Rams Schedule Release Video.Los Angeles Rams Schedule Release Video: Decoding the Hidden Gems You Might Have Missed (Along with the Obvious Ones) 25
Sticking with the Eazy-E motif, the opener displays a stylized rendition of six Rams players gazing down at the camera, reminiscent of the “Straight Outta Compton” album cover.
The highlighted players are Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Byron Young, Kobie Turner, and Kyren Williams. They substitute Eazy’s rifle with the football that Nacua is clutching. Williams makes the iconic LA hand motion, which is linked with the Dodgers emblem. A parental advice label appears in the lower left corner but is taken off. Another allusion to 1990s music culture.
During Week 1 of the Detroit Lions, a screen shot was taken on May 17, 2024, at 1:09.54 PM.Los Angeles Rams Schedule Release Video: Decoding the Hidden Gems You Might Have Missed (Along with the Obvious Ones) 26
Theme: Eminem’s discography.
c”Greatest in the World” line from the song Greatest, “Let’s Get Down to Business” lyric from a song called Business, “I Rapped for you”