Damian Lillard, known in hip-hop circles as Dame D.O.L.L.A, has proven himself as a solid emcee. In fact, there are many -- himself included -- who would confidently declare him to be the best rapper in NBA history by a wide margin.
Ebro Darden asked him exactly that during their recent conversation on Apple Music. "It's me," says Dame, with a smile. "Without a doubt." When Darden ponders whether or not Shaq might take issue with such a claim -- recall that Shaquille O'Neal enjoyed an impressive run as a rapper, having collaborated with The Notorious B.I.G, Twista, and more -- Lillard stands by his assessment. "We talked about it publically," he chuckles; fans may recall that the pair actually exchanged "diss tracks," though all in good fun.
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"We actually started to work on a record together," reveals Lillard. "It just didn't come together." After teasing that it could still come out, Ebro inquires about Lillard's next album. After Dame confirms that he does all the reach-outs to rappers and producers, he shines a light on how the next project is coming together.
"It’s a self-titled album, the next one," he explains. "I think this album I went much deeper. I got more information now, more understanding of how successful I am and what it means to have the experience I have, and why it's valuable in the business that I'm in. Why I can carry things this way, why I am what I am, why I say this, why I feel this way, it's a lot of that. The intro is called 'The Juice,' and it's basically saying 'I got the juice.' Not because I'm making all this money or I'm popular -- it's because I figured it out."
As for when it's coming out, Dame confirms that it might be sooner than later. "I’m going to drop it in August probably," he reveals, as reported by HHNM. "On that I got Q-Tip on there, Blxst, Jane Hancock, I got my boy OG Tree from Oakland."
Check out the full conversation with Ebro Darden below, and sound off if you're looking forward to a new album from Dame D.O.L.L.A. For more on the topic of basketball emcees, be sure to check out Rap Or Go To The League: How The NBA Embedded Itself In Hip-Hop's DNA.