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MC Hammer, Marshawn Lynch, Big Spence, Gary Payton & Joe Morgan ‘Straight Outta Oakland’

*Oakland, CA. — 2015 was the year of Compton but 2016 we’re Straight Outta Oakland. Grammy Award Winner (Hammer), Super Bowl Winner (Lynch), NBA Hall Of Famer (Payton), MLB Hall Of Famer (Morgan) and Columbia Gorge International Film Festival, BEST DIRECTOR (Spence) are all connected by two things; one was they all found a talent that helped them overcome a predetermined outcome and two was their birthplace, Oakland, CA.

Joe Morgan and Big Spence also happen to be cousins. Only halfway through the 2016 year and Oakland, CA is ranked as the 9th most dangerous city in the country. Sometimes survival is different than staying alive and sometimes as a man ‘family survival’ is all that matters.

In the chaotic generation we live in many people look for answers from others, higher powers or some significant sign from somewhere. Writer/Director Marcus D. Spencer (Big Spence) believes in putting messages in his films. “Straight Outta Oakland” (previously titled Set Me Free) is based on Spencer’s own life. The film depicts a slightly Hollywood enhanced version of the mindset of an urban male growing up in an urban community with urban circumstances. Big Spence grew up in Oakland without a mother or father at home. After being put in the foster system, Spence ended up being raised by his grandmother. Spencer saw many roads to choose from; drugs, gangs and alcohol were a few but he didn’t like where those choices would lead so he chose differently.

“T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E. (The Hate U Gave Little Infants F***s Everybody) is a saying that was created by the late Oakland rapper 2pac and it pretty much sums up the problems there in Oakland,” Spencer said. “When you have a particular demographic feeling as though they’re worthless and no one cares for them, that’s called teaching them that they don’t matter. That’s where ‘Black Lives Matter’ came from,” Big Spence continued.

Super Bowl Winner Richard Sherman, NBA Champion Tyson Chandler, #1 Ranked female tennis champion (WTA) Serena Williams and of course Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group N.W.A. are all from Compton, CA. “Straight Outta Oakland,” winner of 9 awards was written, produced and directed by Spencer.

The film is presumed to be a sequel to Ice Cube’s “Straight Outta Compton” however, it is not. “Straight Outta Oakland” is the perspective of Oakland. Although Compton is a six hour drive south of Oakland or an hour and a half flight away, the two places are totally different if you ask the people that are from there.

“Straight Outta Oakland” is a coming of age story about a black man from Oakland whose odds were against him. He navigates through life while attempting to be set free from his own mindset.

“Film is a visual story. It’s my job as a filmmaker to get people to relate to the characters. That’s my own personal formula to film success,” Spence said. “This film is based on one man’s life so it shouldn’t be hard for viewers to relate to at least one character if not all,” Spencer says with a hopeful tone.

This particular film tackles love, betrayal, drugs and the family dynamic. This film is based on Spencer’s life but uniquely what he did was took his life and broke himself into the four characters to show the issues more clearly. The roles were played by Skipper Elekwachi (Licks), Alphonso Thompson (Watch Phoenix Rise), Alan Walker (The Last Wolf of Ezo). Spencer also included himself as one of the four leads depicting himself. Big Spence has gone through (personally) or has been close to someone who has the issues that each of the characters face.

“Straight Outta Oakland” previously opened in selective theaters across the U.S. in 2015. The film will now be available on DVD in stores such as Walmart, Target and Best Buy on July 5th, 2016. It may also be purchased at various on-line sites, as well as directly from Spencer’s film company Touch The Heart Productions.