Basketball star Damian Lillard was on Conan last night (Oct. 23), and made sure not to waste his late-night opportunity.
The Portland Trail Blazers point guard — who's also promoting the release of new video game NBA Live 15 — broke out the Shmoney Dance and rapped a quick verse for "4 Bar Friday," a social media movement that he's been supporting for quite a while.
Check out the Shmoney...
...and the rap:
As previously reported, Lillard is the cover boy for NBA Live 15, which unveiled its soundtrack earlier this month. Curator MICK decided to go with artists that aren't exactly household names (via Billboard).
"As music curator for NBA Live 15, I really tried to identify a unified sound and tone for the game," said MICK, the former DJ of the Cleveland Cavaliers. "In order to make a notable playlist, it's all about the selection and vibe. It's about finding artists other brands aren't using. It's about finding the new songs before other people hear about them. It's about finding the songs from your favorite artists that people may have missed. There are lots of ways to go about it. I try to combine all of the above into one cohesive feel and sound."
Those "other brands" include NBA 2K15, which has outsold EA Sports' basketball franchise since the dawn of time. Visual Concepts' game even features MVP Kevin Durant, while Live had to settle for B-list star Damian Lillard, who is at least giving props to the soundtrack, for their cover.
"I really like old-school hip-hop," Lillard told Billboard. "Most of the time when I hear really new stuff, it's because somebody else put me on to it. I don't really go searching for a lot of new stuff, but it's a lot of up-and-coming artists that are on this soundtrack, so it'll be good to put on to some new artists, instead of being so tapped into the old-school like I am."
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