Damian Lillard: The Emergence of Dame D.O.L.L.A.
Damian Lillard and his alter ego Dame D.O.L.L.A. are both finding huge success
We all know what Damian Lillard can do on the court, but in this case Lillard is creating a lot of noise off the court with his new persona Dame D.O.L.L.A. Lillard has mentioned in interviews that he would freestyle as a hobby when he was a kid. How did this “hobby” become a buzz in both the sports and hip-hop industries?
It all started with 4 bars. Not long after entering the NBA, Lillard started a social media craze entitled: #4barfriday. This was a way for him to use his massive social media platform to feature not only his skills, but other top lyricists from around the world. This became a weekly hit, every Friday the lyricists would submit their best 4 bars for Lillard to post on his page.
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He has also shared his M.C. abilities in various interviews, one in particular was with former MTV host Sway Calloway on Sirius XM radio (video below). During this interview he freestyled over Jay Z’s “Dead Presidents” beat. In the freestyle he rapped about his journey as a child growing up in Oakland and the struggle he went through to become who he is today. In the freestyle he said lines such as:
“Me being the chosen one was like a blessing in inception, A city known for homicide, majority depression… Grinding in the gym so I can live through the recession.” He also stated, “I’m from a city where your friend will put a gun to your mind, ’cause you’re eating and they envy all that glory and shine” “My mission took me to college, where I picked up the knowledge and tried to stay away from violence, since I escaped the virus.”
When the freestyle was over Sway put Lillard out there for other rappers to take notice. He also mentioned how Lillard’s past time hobby was better than your everyday professional rap artist. This interview went main stream, bringing a lot of attention to the rising persona that became Dame D.O.L.L.A.
After the interview with Sway, Lillard started to take his passion for music to another level. He then released a short mixtape where he spit his own verses over famous hip hop tracks such as: Jadakiss’s “Why”, and Future’s “F*** Up Some Commas”.
The Trail Blazers’ franchise point guard was blazing a trail in a whole new direction. His mix tape put Lillard out there as a rising star in the hip hop community.
When it comes to music for the four year point gurad, he has a different point of view about it. In an interview with USA TODAY Sports he states:
“When I listen to music, I listen for the substance, I listen to the bars, I listen to the beat, and I try to paint a picture with everything that I hear in music,” said Lillard, who routinely researches the meaning of words that he hears for the first time as a way to increase his vocabulary. “Whether it’s R&B, rap, jazz, country, whatever it is, I try to paint a picture. That’s what I try to do when I write because I know I’ve got a story to tell and I know that there are a lot of people who have probably some of the same experiences, people who might have failed and done bad coming from what I’ve come from and some who know what I’m saying, who feel exactly what I’m saying.”
Lillard wants to tell a story to his listeners through his songs. He did just that with the release of “Bigger Than Us” featuring Paul Rey, which was about the social injustices perpetuated upon African Americans. Lillard carried that same cool, calm, and collected demeanor that he has on the court through his verses in the song. The music video was released on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a man who stood on peace and equality in his messages. This showed everyone a different side of Lillard. That he actually pays attention to what is going on around him and cares about the social matters in society.
Lillard’s rap career took off even further. Now you can catch him flowing in commercials for Adidas and State Farm. Dame D.O.L.L.A. is definitely making a place for himself. To add more gasoline to the flames, Lillard didn’t make the All-Star roster this year. Instead of venting to the media, he took a classier approach and turned to his other passion. After the All-Star weekend was over, Lillard released a song called “They Sleep”. There you can hear his disdain for being overlooked:
“They don’t want to see us win” which is Lillard speaking about the low expectations for the Trail Blazers coming into this season, he then continues to say, “So what are we gonna do? We gonna win anyway.”
As the song goes on, Lillard addresses how he felt about not making the All-Star team. He states, “I ain’t make the All-Stars, but my flu game sick. Last time they count me out, what I do game 6.” Referring to the outstanding three pointer he made at the buzzer against the Houston Rockets.
Lillard isn’t the first athlete that tried to cross over into the rap world. NBA super stars such as Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, Ron Artest and Kobe Bryant all tried to go down this path as well. Even though the ones who went before him weren’t as successful, Lillard is confident in his skill. Rapping is more than just a side talent for Lillard, it’s a way of escaping from the pressure that is surrounding him. There is no doubt that he loves both basketball and music. His passion and talent in both could arguably make Lillard the best athlete-rapper ever.