{"id":491408,"date":"2019-10-18T09:35:07","date_gmt":"2019-10-18T15:35:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/?p=900767"},"modified":"2019-10-18T09:35:07","modified_gmt":"2019-10-18T15:35:07","slug":"i-wanna-be-mvp-i-want-a-grammy-damian-lillards-plan-to-balance-music-and-basketball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kqzr\/music-news\/i-wanna-be-mvp-i-want-a-grammy-damian-lillards-plan-to-balance-music-and-basketball\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I Wanna Be MVP. I Want a Grammy\u2019: Damian Lillard\u2019s Plan to Balance Music and Basketball"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Wednesday night in Salt Lake City, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard<\/a> put up 25 points in 29 minutes in a preseason win against the Utah Jazz. The next morning, Dame D.O.L.L.A. \u2014 Lillard\u2019s hip-hop pseudonym \u2014 dropped his new music video for \u201cMoney Ball<\/a>.\u201d Later that night brought another preseason game for Lillard, this time versus the Nuggets in Denver, and the following morning Dame D.O.L.L.A. readied the deluxe-edition release of his best album to date.<\/p>\n

This balancing act is the new normal for the All-NBA athlete hoping to conquer the Bo Jackson-esque task of ascending to the zenith of two viciously competitive arenas. \u201cIt\u2019s been a really good stretch for me as far as basketball and my music. I think this is just the beginning,\u201d Lillard tells Rolling Stone<\/em>. \u201cAnytime you\u2019re doing something like this, when you have two occupations, planning is important. Everything is coming together nicely because of our plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

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For Lillard, the start of the 2019-20 season marks the end of the most prosperous summer of his career as both a basketball player and a rapper: First, he eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder with \u201cThe Shot\u201d<\/a> \u2014 a no-time-left, hand-in-face, 37-foot 3-pointer that singlehandedly<\/a> upheaved<\/a> the Thunder franchise, launched countless memes,<\/a> and thrust \u201cDame Time\u201d into the viralsphere \u2014 and led the Blazers to the Western Conference Finals. After Lillard re-upped his commitment to Portland with a huge extension<\/a>, Dame D.O.L.L.A. released his third album, Big D.O.L.L.A.<\/em>, his strongest and most complete statement as a hip-hop artist yet. The album, a 10-track collection of what he calls \u201cpure\u201d rap songs, showcases Lillard\u2019s nimbleness and versatility as a rapper \u2014 qualities he shares as an all-star point guard.<\/p>\n

Big D.O.L.L.A.<\/em> arrived this summer with guests like Lil Wayne (a frequent collaborator), Jeremih, and Mozzy alongside emerging artists like Marley Waters, Brookfield Duece, and more. The guest list increases on the just-released digital deluxe edition of the LP, with Lil Durk, Jadakiss, Benny the Butcher, and fellow Oakland native G-Eazy hopping on Big D.O.L.L.A.<\/em> remixes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re getting up-and-comers and you\u2019re getting legends, you\u2019re getting that kind of company, that\u2019s a huge co-sign, especially when you\u2019re an athlete doing it,\u201d Lillard says. \u201cSo that means a lot to me, keeping that kind of company on my music consistently.\u201d<\/p>\n

While no one doubts Lillard\u2019s ability to drain 3-point shots from astonishing distances, Dame D.O.L.L.A. found himself having to reassert his talents every offseason. \u201cIn the past, I would do my albums and all my music in the summer, and when the season started, it would completely go away,\u201d he says. \u201cSo it was hard to keep the audience and keep people\u2019s attention and keep it fresh in their minds, where they\u2019re treating me like an artist.\u201d<\/p>\n