Dame D.O.L.L.A., who is known just as much for his clutch fourth quarter performances as he is for his lyricism, combines the two skills to pay tribute to his most immediate predecessor and parallel in both, Kobe Bryant. On “Kobe,” Dame is joined by his Front Page Music cohort Derrick Milano and rap legend Snoop Dogg, dedicating the track, which appears on the NBA 2K21 soundtrack, to the NBA icon who defined “clutch” for a generation and inspired millions.
Produced by Ayo & Keyz, the song originally appeared only on the game, but after a positive fan response, Dame decided to give it a separate release. The news that the track would get its own release hit the social media sphere on Thursday via Lillard’s Twitter account.
The response to my Kobe tribute track I did for #NBA2K21 has been so positive. Lots of y’all have been asking me to put it on streaming services. The wait is over. Kobe featuring @SnoopDogg and @DerrickMilano drops tonight at 9pm PT/Midnight ET on all major streaming services. 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/h9ciLEobnD
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 10, 2020
When the track dropped, Lillard included a picture of him posted up on the sideline before a Blazers-Laker game in which every seat at Staples Center included a Mamba shirt.
My Kobe tribute track featuring @SnoopDogg and @DerrickMilano just hit all major streaming services. 🙏🏾
🎧: https://t.co/KWDDkVwe1s pic.twitter.com/UJzmnsET6h
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) September 11, 2020
Dame has previously said that being on the cover of this year’s 2K game — which features a special Mamba Edition that pays tribute to Kobe — inspired him to “pay tribute to Kobe through music.” Whether you’ve picked up the game and have heard the track already, or if you’ve yet to hear it, you can listen to Dame D.O.L.L.A.’s “Kobe” with Snoop Dogg and Derrick Milano above.
