In a move that shook the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday acquired rapper Dame D.O.L.L.A. via trade, delivering an instant shot of adrenaline to the team’s lackluster music roster.
Arguably, the transaction that brought former Portland Trail Blazer Damian Lillard to Milwaukee will have a bigger impact on the court. But it’s difficult to argue that the franchise’s presence on music-streaming platforms didn’t just get a big lift by bringing in a guy with four studio albums and a bunch of singles to boot.
Speaking of which, Dame D.O.L.L.A.’s song bench got a little deeper following the trade, as he released the track “Farewell” just hours after the news broke. Because he’s now officially connected to the city, we thought it only appropriate to give him the Milwaukee Music Premiere treatment, although clearly the “Premiere” part doesn’t apply here. Anyway, let’s dive in.
Before listening to a single beat or bar, I gotta give Lillard some serious marketing props for how this all unfolded. He had plenty of lead time, considering he submitted a trade request to the Blazers back in July. But, rather than kick back as the situation played out, it seems he got in the studio to capitalize on the attention an eventual swap would bring him.
The lyrics reflect the somewhat-salty state of affairs he left behind in Portland, the front office of which ruffled Lillard’s feathers by picking point guard Scoot Henderson with the third pick in this year’s NBA Draft. As Dame says at the end of the track:
Amazing what I get in return for this labor
I continue leaving trails, but it won’t be for the Blazers
To the fans, man, I love you, it’s unconditional
Reasons for me leaving this city is nothing typical
So it’s imperative not to believe their narrative
Just know that what I left is better than what I inherited
I leave at peace because I know at the end that this is business
Hope you remember all the things you got to sit and witness
In the future, man, I hope we greet with hugs and kisses
But you should know that they the ones who chose another mission
They fishin’
The delivery of those lyrics is what you’d expect from someone who landed on the NBA’s 75th anniversary team alongside league greats like Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Oscar Robertson, Moses Malone, Ray Allen, Giannis Antetokounmpo and a bunch of guys who didn’t play for the Bucks. That’s to say Dame’s flow on “Farewell” comes across as a dude fully confident in his abilities. It’s laid back, rarely getting too high or low emotionally, and lets the lyrics do the work.
The same could be said for the beat selection on the track. It’s understated, almost to the point where you forget it exists at all. Part of that is due to Dame keeping all his timeouts in his pocket and the rhymes going from start to finish. There’s a brief intro that lasts about 11 seconds, but from there it’s his show until finally taking a breather at the 2:38 mark.
You can find “Farewell” at the top of the page for your listening enjoyment, as well as on the usual streaming platforms. I highly recommend tracking down the song and sharing it with Jimmy Butler on all his social channels.
