WATCH: Damian Lillard debuts rap album with single ‘Growth Spurt’
Damian Lillard is a man of many talents.
Aside from being one of the best guards in the NBA today, the two-time All-Star launched his music career on Thursday (Friday in Manila) with multiple hip-hop singles on Soundcloud under the moniker “Dame Dolla.”
The 26-year-old Trailblazer, who had been teasing fans with his rap skills during NBA promos, took to Twitter to announce the release of his mixtape “The Letter O”, featuring the his lead single “Growth Spurt.”
Oakland, Ogden, Oregon. My debut album #TheLetterO drops tonight @ 9 PST/midnight EST on @iTunes @AppleMusic and @Spotify! #DameDOLLA pic.twitter.com/pUznGF7SQp
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) October 20, 2016
Despite being a rookie to the music scene, Lillard received support from notable music veterans, including Raphael Saadiq, Lil’ Wayne, Marsha Ambrosius, Juvenile and Jamie Foxx, who all appeared on his mixtape.
The album title pays tribute to both Lillard’s jersey number and the letter “O,” which has remained constant throughout his life. The four-year NBA player was raised in Oakland, went to college at Weber State in Ogden, Utah, and now plays for the Blazers of Portland, Oregon, according to Billboard.com.
His rap moniker is based on his nickname, while “DOLLA” stands for Different On Levels the Lord Allowed.
Lillard also promotes #4barfriday on his Instagram account—a weekly challenge to unheralded rappers to share their best mini-songs each Friday on social media.
“The Letter O” is now available on iTunes, Apple Music and Spotify.
Lillard joins a long list of notable NBA players who’s been known to foray into the hip-hop scene with rap albums, perhaps none bigger than NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal. Khristian Ibarrola
