“Rap or go to the league" is the saying, but Damian Lillard is one of the few to successfully pull off both; producing an All-NBA level career on the court while also launching a career in music that has been co-signed by major artists such Lil Wayne, Raphael Saadiq, Jeremih and 2 Chainz. Under the name Dame D.O.L.L.A. (Different on Levels the Lord Allows), the Oakland native has released a handful of independent projects, including The Letter O (2016) and Big D.O.L.L.A. (2019), with each volume naturally arriving during off seasons. 
 Dame has been creating music his entire life, initially sharpening his skills in freestyle battles against his older cousins and AAU teammates in middle school. 
 By the time Dame reached the NBA, he was ready to show the world his skills on the mic. His debut freestyle on Sway in the Morning in 2015 was universally praised and currently has over 10 million views on YouTube. 
 Dame released his debut full-length project, The Letter O, in October 2016, featuring hitmakers such as Lil Wayne and Raphael Saadiq. The Letter O debuted at number 119 on the Billboard 200 (and at number seven on the R&B/hip-hop chart). 
 Dame’s sophomore project, CONFIRMED, featured production from Scott Storch and contributions from BJ The Chicago Kid, Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz. 
 Dame’s third full-length album, Big D.O.L.L.A., was released in August 2019 with features from Lil Wayne and Jeremih and production from 808 Mafia’s Fuse, OG Parker and Nonstop Da Hitman.