Damian Lillard reveals how he got through dark times on masterful "YAGI" mixtape

Damian Lillard is back home with the Portland Trail Blazers and he's back in his bag with his new mixtape, "Y.A.G.I." The acronym stands for "You Acquire Greatness Internally" and comes at a transitional time in the nine-time All-Star's career.

It's clear life has come at Lillard hard in the past few years. But he uses "Y.A.G.I." to show how he got through by staying grounded with his personal circle and faith in God. The cover art is done by his elementary school friend Mooyagi, and his cousin Brookfield Duece continues to serve as his creative director.

This is Dame D.O.L.L.A's first project since his 2023 album "Don D.O.L.L.A." He jumps right in on the piano-laced "HOMECOMING" produced by Nonstop that comes with a thoughtful hook from Dreebo. Lillard shows masterful wordplay commenting on his basketball journey. Over the summer, the Oakland native signed a deal with the team who drafted him in 2012 after two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks.

"It's a storm in Milwaukee, I'm still prepared to buck," he raps. He expresses how tough his recent journey has been, which includes tearing his Achilles in the playoffs this spring. He continues,"all them prayers I was sending ain't get no replies, but He was working/I was taken on that Moses ride/Always lessons in the blessings from the Most High" Then he references Isaiah 54:17, "I knew all them weapons would form, I just ain't fear 'em much."

And that's all within the first minute of the project.

Rexx Life Raj finishes "HOMECOMING" strong with a message about the importance of being a present father, avoiding the haters, and some more fierce wordplay on Lillard's return to Portland. "We always ready to buck, but rather rip a city up because we know there's still confetti to touch."

Lillard, who is still seeking his first NBA championship, also had some major changes in his personal life recently. In 2023, he filed for divorce from his wife, who was his college sweetheart and is the mother of his three children.

On "Y.A.G.I." Lillard discusses enjoying freedom in singleness and how he continues to battle the temptation of women on "DAWGSKII," which has a smooth drum pattern also from Nonstop and a clever Allen Iverson reference. D.O.L.L.A expresses the heartache of the relationship turning sour on "WE AINT GOT THE SAME STORY."

"Y.A.G.I." has everything you'd want in a solid rap project with a 23-minute run time. The production goes from soulful on "HOMECOMING" to snappy on "BACK ACTIVATED" and then booming on "GIMME SOME LOVE."

Rexx Life Raj, Dreebo, Sy Ari Da Kid, K Camp and Ivory Scott make the project dynamic with their features, but Dame is not once outshined by a guest. Lillard has had stacked tracklists with major artists like Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz and Rick Ross on past projects. He held his own decent enough, but the roster on "Y.A.G.I." feels the most organic yet while giving Lillard space to tell his own story.

Part of that narrative is paying homage to his hometown of Oakland. Lillard named his debut album in 2016 "The Letter O" and has always dropped references to The Town. He does that here on "MY DADDY'S SON PT. 2" where he expresses gratitude for his father and the looming "RIQ HAVOC."

Lillard's flow is effortless throughout "Y.A.G.I." as he showcases the strength of his pen."PAT BEV" is the project's victory lap that closes with,"I was taking L after L like I was Cool J/Mind playing tricks on me like I'm rocking a toupee, Got it back poppin like a n*gga got a due date" before flexing about his diamonds, cars, and his daughter as evidence that he's still standing.

Lillard said it's not likely he will see the hardwood this upcoming season as he recovers from Achilles surgery. But it's a good thing he's seen the recording booth plenty because "Y.A.G.I." is further proof he's not just good for an athlete-rapper. He's a venerable artist that makes music worth of staying in the rotation.