Damian Lillard - rapper or hooper?

[Hoopaholic]

Anyone else see this? Lillard is the man, straight up!

Damian Lillard Drops Incredible Freestyle Rap About Growing Up in Oakland | Bleacher Report (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2364685-damian-lillard-drops-incredible-freestyle-rap-about-growing-up-in-oakland?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming-national)

[MJGREENPMG1100]

WOW,BOTH LOL

[Hoopaholic]

Pretty good huh

[Nyfancam01]

better than ANY modern day trash rapper..

pretty legit!

[CubKings]

Damn! Dame can flow pretty good.

[Big Ben Fan]

kids got bars

[JMarchand1981]

He went in.

[cmisley]

"I tried to tell ya'll" same could be said about his game.

Portland has one of the coolest cats in the NBA right now.

[rodmanmartinez]

hmmm.... good but not great

[Pat3ntP3nd1ng]

Anyone else see this? Lillard is the man, straight up!

Damian Lillard Drops Incredible Freestyle Rap About Growing Up in Oakland | Bleacher Report (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2364685-damian-lillard-drops-incredible-freestyle-rap-about-growing-up-in-oakland?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=programming-national)


Real solid, definitely. I grew up on rap and hip hop so I can certainly see the potential there. I would love to see what a nice producer could do with him.

Side note: This was not a classic freestyle off the top of his head, it was prewritten lyrics but undoubtedly solid nonetheless. Its very easy to distinguish TRUE freestyle from prewritten.

[Rabie1]

Awesome stuff!!!!

[PokerPro503]

hmmm.... good but not great

For an actual Rap artist maybe good but not great. For an NBA All Star, absolutely phenomenal

[lambyzzle79]

For an actual Rap artist maybe good but not great. For an NBA All Star, absolutely phenomenal


thank you, exactly what I was thinking! that was a sick lyrical stuff he put together tho

[exoticprince]

For a dude that does this on the side, that was impressive. Both flow and lyrics...

[sportzluvr1]

Cant listen to much modern-day rap. I tried to listen to Minaj and lil Wayne but after i heard them rhyme the same word with itself two times in a row, throughout multiple songs, i gave up.

I love to eat chocolate cake,
Put a fat girl w/ some flour dats pound cake,
Mix a good girl w/ uh bowl dats no bake,
Put uh black dude w/ uh fruitcake, call dat ishh First Take.


Straight fyyyyre.

[NBAFREAK02]

Cant listen to much modern-day rap. I tried to listen to Minaj and lil Wayne but after i heard them rhyme the same word with itself two times in a row, throughout multiple songs, i gave up.

I love to eat chocolate cake,
Put a fat girl w/ some flour dats pound cake,
Mix a good girl w/ uh bowl dats no bake,
Put uh black dude w/ uh fruitcake, call dat ishh First Take.


Straight fyyyyre.

That is because you listen to the mainstream BS that takes over the radio. You shouldn't listen to Minaj or Wayne, but you shouldn't discredit rap as a whole. Rap has so much meaning nowadays (you just have to look a little bit, I.e. J cole, Kendrick Lamar, Isaiah rashad, or logic) and people perceive it as a couple of young people trying to make a quick dollar. But it's definitely not like that. Rappers put their heart and soul into their lyrics and talk about their lifetime of struggle and hardships, racial issues and emotions. You just have to find the right kind of rap that relates to you. And Lillard is aight for a baller...
/rant. LOL

[nibrugnerotto]

Cant listen to much modern-day rap. I tried to listen to Minaj and lil Wayne but after i heard them rhyme the same word with itself two times in a row, throughout multiple songs, i gave up.

I love to eat chocolate cake,
Put a fat girl w/ some flour dats pound cake,
Mix a good girl w/ uh bowl dats no bake,
Put uh black dude w/ uh fruitcake, call dat ishh First Take.


Straight fyyyyre.

I'm just gonna leave this here...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbGs_qK2PQA

[ninjacookies]

For an actual Rap artist maybe good but not great. For an NBA All Star, absolutely phenomenal

For a mainstream rap artist, he is exceptional. For an NBA all star, he is transcendent.


(yes, mainstream 'rap' is really that bad nowadays.)

IMO, the only other fairly tolerable nba player/emcee was Shaq. He made real hip hop back in the days and a lot of his beat production was exceptional.

[ninjacookies]

I'm just gonna leave this here...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbGs_qK2PQA

No disrespect to Em, because he's one of the best to do it...but I find it sad that most will just automatically label him GOAT and don't even know who the real original white lyricist was that was representing real hip hop before Eminem was even in diapers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DvuHQ45a-U

But of course, he never had Dr. Dre's media backing, so he's not the one making 8 figures.

[sportzluvr1]

I'm just gonna leave this here...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbGs_qK2PQA

The GOAT himself :eek:

[TuukkaTime]

No disrespect to Em, because he's one of the best to do it...but I find it sad that most will just automatically label him GOAT and don't even know who the real original white lyricist was that was representing real hip hop before Eminem was even in diapers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DvuHQ45a-U

But of course, he never had Dr. Dre's media backing, so he's not the one making 8 figures.


The girl in that video :eek::eek::eek:

I think Em is older than that dude.

[tacoma34]

No disrespect to Em, because he's one of the best to do it...but I find it sad that most will just automatically label him GOAT and don't even know who the real original white lyricist was that was representing real hip hop before Eminem was even in diapers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DvuHQ45a-U

But of course, he never had Dr. Dre's media backing, so he's not the one making 8 figures.

Eminem doesn't sound like sh*t though

[ninjacookies]

Eminem doesn't sound like sh*t though

I'm on the flip side of the coin. Absolutely cannot stand Em's whiny/nasal voice when he raps.

Different strokes for different folks. I was raised on east coast hip hop, so I naturally gravitate towards the Wu-Tang/Nas/Non Phixion/Binary Star types.

[tacoma34]

I'm on the flip side of the coin. Absolutely cannot stand Em's whiny/nasal voice when he raps.

Different strokes for different folks. I was raised on east coast hip hop, so I naturally gravitate towards the Wu-Tang/Nas/Non Phixion/Binary Star types.

Ya his nasal voice can get annoying, but when he uses his real voice like in "Fight Music" , there is no rapper better nowadays.

[ninjacookies]

there is no rapper better nowadays.

Well that's certainly debatable. But he is definitely up there in the top discussion.

[Hoopaholic]

Had to bump this because I am the OP and Em is the GOAT.

[NBAFREAK02]

Had to bump this because I am the OP and Em is the GOAT.

You would really pick Eminem over 2pac and Biggie? Dang lol

[TuukkaTime]

Well that's certainly debatable. But he is definitely up there in the top discussion.

Who would you put for new age rap? Kendrick is great, Logic is a great lyricist. I like Childish Gambino but he isn't really a "rapper" so much as a performer if that makes sense, he sings a lot on his newer stuff.

[NBAFREAK02]

Who would you put for new age rap? Kendrick is great, Logic is a great lyricist. I like Childish Gambino but he isn't really a "rapper" so much as a performer if that makes sense, he sings a lot on his newer stuff.

You said it yourself, Kendrick has great flow and lyrics for days that are actually meaningful. J Cole is another top rapper of this generation. Brings back 90s music in a sense, and has some good relatable music. Logic is a really good up and coming rapper and he is greatly influenced by J Cole. Another rapper that is pretty dope, is TDE's Isaiah Rashad. Yup, pretty much sums it up. But this is all my opinion, of course.

[nibrugnerotto]

You would really pick Eminem over 2pac and Biggie? Dang lol

Am I the only person who thinks that Tupac made horrible music and is probably only popular because of his death? (Same with Biggie, but his songs are somewhat tolerable...)

[Hoopaholic]

I would definitely say eminem is the greatest. His relevancy and longevity speak volumes. Not to mention his lyrics are extremely deep and complex

[lindeman79]

It is just like Nirvana over the Pumpkins. Cobain killed himself and Billy has lived.

Am I the only person who thinks that Tupac made horrible music and is probably only popular because of his death? (Same with Biggie, but his songs are somewhat tolerable...)

[ninjacookies]

Who would you put for new age rap? Kendrick is great, Logic is a great lyricist. I like Childish Gambino but he isn't really a "rapper" so much as a performer if that makes sense, he sings a lot on his newer stuff.

I think RA could hold his own against Em in any platform, be it meaningful songs or songs about BS. A quick listen to Uncommon Valor will confirm this.

Elzhi is one of the most underrated of all time.

Phonte of Little Brother is also up there. He may not spit the fastest, but his pen game is one of the most fundamentally sound.

In terms of backpack rap, I'd be hard pressed to find a more intellectual and thoughtful emcee than El-p.



I'm not much into radio rap. Haven't been for awhile now. Most of who I listed probably have never been heard by people in this thread. It's a shame too. Most people's frame of reference is limited to Drake, J cole, and Kendrick. Nothing wrong with that, they have skills, but there's so much more out there that just don't have the media push.


BTW, I like Logic and copped his first official release...but I'm still on the fence about him. I think he tries so hard subconsciously to separate himself from the Kendrick comparisons that he ends up...sounding exactly like him.

[duron]

El-P is ridiculous.

[NBAFREAK02]

Am I the only person who thinks that Tupac made horrible music and is probably only popular because of his death? (Same with Biggie, but his songs are somewhat tolerable...)

Well, I personally feel like 2Pac and Biggie were so good for speaking for the voiceless, with exception of some of their lyrics. They were the biggest artists of the 90s to bring this new era/wave of hip hop/rap. Dre also assisted in creating unique, original beats, which he made primarily for 2Pac. Those rappers created a truly unique style for themselves, in a sense, and is what is currently happening in this generation.

[ninjacookies]

El-P is ridiculous.

You. I like you.

[NBAFREAK02]

I think RA could hold his own against Em in any platform, be it meaningful songs or songs about BS. A quick listen to Uncommon Valor will confirm this.

Elzhi is one of the most underrated of all time.

Phonte of Little Brother is also up there. He may not spit the fastest, but his pen game is one of the most fundamentally sound.

In terms of backpack rap, I'd be hard pressed to find a more intellectual and thoughtful emcee than El-p.



I'm not much into radio rap. Haven't been for awhile now. Most of who I listed probably have never been heard by people in this thread. It's a shame too. Most people's frame of reference is limited to Drake, J cole, and Kendrick. Nothing wrong with that, they have skills, but there's so much more out there that just don't have the media push.


BTW, I like Logic and copped his first official release...but I'm still on the fence about him. I think he tries so hard subconsciously to separate himself from the Kendrick comparisons that he ends up...sounding exactly like him.

Have you heard of King Los, Flatbush Zombies, Quest, Omen, Joey Bada$$, or Aesop Rock? All of those artists are pretty good too. All really just underground artists, but are also bringing in a new wave. They are more philosophical in a way haha.

[ninjacookies]

Have you heard of King Los, Flatbush Zombies, Quest, Omen, Joey Bada$$, or Aesop Rock? All of those artists are pretty good too. All really just underground artists, but are also bringing in a new wave. They are more philosophical in a way haha.

haha, come on man...I was bumping Aesop's 'Daylight' in the whip back before Cage became an emo goth rocker. Hell yeah. He's definitely an acquired taste though...his lyrics and production are so abstract that he's up there in the MF Doom category of rap.

I'm kind of getting into Joey. I like that he's not affraid to stray away from the norm and take things back to the old school elements. I do think there's a time for the intellectual raps and also a time for just laid back chill tracks.

I'm a sucker for Black Milk as well. Always thought he was a way better producer slash rapper than Kanye ever was. Or perhaps I'm just a sucker for that detroit sound since Dilla got me hooked over a decade ago...

[NBAFREAK02]

haha, come on man...I was bumping Aesop's 'Daylight' in the whip back before Cage became an emo goth rocker. Hell yeah. He's definitely an acquired taste though...his lyrics and production are so abstract that he's up there in the MF Doom category of rap.

I'm kind of getting into Joey. I like that he's not affraid to stray away from the norm and take things back to the old school elements. I do think there's a time for the intellectual raps and also a time for just laid back chill tracks.

I'm a sucker for Black Milk as well. Always thought he was a way better producer slash rapper than Kanye ever was. Or perhaps I'm just a sucker for that detroit sound since Dilla got me hooked over a decade ago...

Yeah, MF Doom is pretty insane. Joey's gonna be good!

[southjag27]

He's black... So both