The Best of Neil's Watchdog

Next in ESPN's "30 for 30'' series is Tuesday's "Straight Outta L.A.,'' a look at the relationship between the Raiders and Los Angeles' music and gang scenes in the 1980s from hip hop star Ice Cube.

The film is a mostly lighthearted look at the notorious Raiders of that era and how they bonded with the less glamorous, less wealthy side of Los Angeles during their pit stop there from 1982-94.

I sat down with Mr. Cube before the premiere April 23. Some excerpts:

On his rare one-on-one interview with owner Al Davis:

"He just knows I'm a big-time and longtime Raider fan. I think that kind of got the interview more than anything else . . . It was cool. It was kind of like you're going to meet Yoda or something.''

On why the team resonated with young fans:

"The team to me spoke to an L.A. that was unseen to the rest of the world. When most people saw L.A. in the '80s, they saw the Showtime Lakers or '84 Olympics, a fun-and-sun kind of thing. But we knew an L.A. that was a lot more grimy.''

On whether he is surprised L.A. still doesn't have an NFL team:

"It's unbelievable. When they left in '94, I thought we were going to have a team in two years, three years. But 15 years, it's strange."

On his life as a sports fan:

"More than music, sports have always been constantly in my life in some way or another, so I get a kick out of having something on ESPN and going to Raiders camp. I had more fun doing that than any movie I've done. Or jumping on stage and all that.''