Oct. 12, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) dribbles the ball up the court during the game against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Trail Blazers 104-93. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
It’s a lazy Saturday in mid-September, so the basketball world is on fire with more news than it can handle!… Wouldn’t that be great? The news cycle may not be buzzing with trade talk, fresh signings, or contract negotiations, but that doesn’t mean we have been forsaken by the NBA gods (not to be confused with the power hungry demi-god, Loki Stern).
Yesterday, Damian Lillard began a new twitter/instagram tradition called 4BarFriday. While it may hold a different meaning in college towns, 4BarFriday is an invitation to all of Lillard’s fans who fancy themselves competent rappers to share a few lines with him. For those who don’t care for the genre, consider it more poetry than anything else, as submissions are generally a cappella.
Damian got the ball rolling with this little piece:
"I done seen the darkest nights and all they see is my successthe town heart pumping getting weaker by the breathYou seen what I’da seen it’d probably leap up out your chesthad to make it ‘fore my mama caught a seizure by the stress"
If anyone is a little lost, fear not. I took a Hip Hop Culture course to round out my History requirements back in my college days (thanks UO). Clearly I am an expert in rhyme and rhythm, rhythm and rhyme. But seriously, here’s the breakdown rapgenius.com style:
"I done seen the darkest nights and all they see is my success"
– While Damian has gathered quite a fanbase since succeeding in the NBA, sometimes people forget that it’s not always sunshine and lollipops. He went through a lot to get where he is today, and came from a rough area.
"the town heart pumping getting weaker by the breath"
– Things are getting worse in Oakland (his hometown) day by day. The heart he refers to could be a metaphorical heart of the city, or his own. Damian sports a full chest tattoo that read, “Oakland, Heart of the City,” so this line likely has a double meaning. Oakland struggles and those struggles weigh heavily on him.
"You seen what I’da seen it’d probably leap up out your chest"
– If you had witnessed the scenes he had, or experienced his hardships, you’d have difficulty handling it too.
"Had to make it ‘fore my mama caught a seizure by the stress"
– He was motivated to succeed in order to improve his situation, because his mother was very worried about him.
This isn’t exactly an inflammatory headline, but I hope you learned a little about Damian Lillard, appreciated some art, and had a good time. If you would like to participate next week, follow @4BarFriday on twitter and help Damian get his pet project off the ground. Upload your video to instagram and tag it #4BarFriday. Be sure it’s only four bars and that it is not set to private so Damian can see it. I will hold off, since my rapping skills would be too much for anyone to handle, but I appreciate that Damian enjoys interacting with his fans.
Starting a new challenge today for all y’all that tweet me that you can rap. It’s #4BarFriday. Follow @4BarFriday http://t.co/wizb6bo8wF
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 13, 2013