“I Ain’t Never Going Platinum Again!”: Shaquille O’Neal Faces ‘Harsh’ Reality of Modern Day Streaming Standards

Shaquille O’Neal surprised the world in 1993 as his first-ever music album reached the status of platinum. More than two decades after that, Diesel acknowledged the challenges for modern-day musicians in achieving that feat. During a recent conversation with T.I. on The Big Podcast, the 51-year-old candidly shared his thoughts on the harsh reality of current age standards.

Initially, T.I. elaborated on the “paradigm shift” within the music industry since the increasing popularity of streaming services. The rapper revealed how the number of streams eventually became equivalent to album sales for the artists. Proportionately, 1600 streams equated to one album sale, raising the bar of reaching the platinum status to 1.6 billion streams.

The unanticipated demands of the current industry shocked Shaq as he shed light on the high standards. “I ain’t never going platinum again. Damn,” the Big Aristotle mentioned with a wry smile on his face upon reflecting on the reality.

To reassure the NBA analyst, T.I. then discussed how certain aspects tilt the odds in the artists’ favor to a large extent. The 43-year-old mentioned the importance of technology and integrated recommendation systems aiding creators to reach the milestone. Yet, Shaq visibly failed to properly comprehend the algorithm, adding momentum to his astonishment.

The complexities of the current age made O’Neal doubt his capabilities, putting into focus the difficulties of modern-day musicians. At the same time, the veterans of the field have adapted to the sea of changes over time. The contrast in their reactions shed light on precisely that aspect as the viewpoints captured the entire picture.

Looking back at the platinum year of Shaquille O’Neal

Shaq became an overnight sensation after coming into the NBA in 1992. Riding the wave of his then popularity, the 7ft 1″ icon decided to release his debut rap album, Shaq Diesel. The NBA star reached the pinnacle of success soon after that as it sold a million copies worldwide, earning the status of platinum.

However, the paycheck failed to reflect that as the 4x champion revealed the reality in his 2011 memoir, Shaq Uncut. “By the time everyone took their cut, I had a check for sixty thousand dollars left. My album went platinum, but all I got was chump change,” the 2000 MVP wrote while reflecting on his success.

i’m crying at @djdiesel’s son posting this and tagging him pic.twitter.com/JemduDOwG9

— Meredith Larson (@meredithwlarson) February 22, 2024

Yet, it marked a golden chapter of his life. After all, the New Jersey-born remains the only ever athlete to reach this feat. This adds volume to his uniqueness while separating him from the herd.