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“Didn’t know Kobe Bryant rapped but Shaquille O’Neal’s music was dope”: When Drake showed his appreciation for the Lakers legend’s rap career

Samir Mehdi
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“Didn’t know Kobe Bryant rapped but Shaquille O’Neal’s music was dope”: When Drake showed his appreciation for the Lakers legend’s rap career

Drake showed love to Shaquille O’Neal and his rap career while talking about NBA superstars like LeBron James and Lakers legend, Kobe Bryant. 

Shaquille O’Neal has darn near indulged in every facet of life. Be it the film industry, an inordinate amount of sponsorships, or even a doctorate; the ‘Big Aristotle’ has done it all. Aside from being one of the most dominant players the league had ever seen, Shaq also did more than just dip his toe in the world of music. 

Shaquille O’Neal has released 4 albums, starting off with ‘Shaq Diesel’ in 1993 and a follow up to that aptly named, ‘Shaq Fu: Da Return’. These were his two most successful albums as the former was certified Platinum while the latter received Gold. His next two were moderately successful, titled ‘You Can’t Stop The Reign’ and ‘Respect’.

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Kobe Bryant, like Shaquille O’Neal, was no stranger to the rap game as he dabbled in a 16-track album titled ‘Visions’ that featured the likes of Nas, Destiny’s Child, and 50 Cent. 

Drake talks about Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. 

While speaking to ‘The Life’ in 2010, Drake talked about a variety of things ranging from his relationship with John Calipari and the Kentucky family to his budding friendship with the star of ‘Forever’, LeBron James. The Toronto native would also go on to show a bit of love to Shaquille O’Neal and his albums from the early ‘90s.

Also read: “Shaquille O’Neal calls the Kings the ‘Sacramento Queens’”: When Dwyane ‘The Rock’ Johnson hilariously sang about how much he disliked Sacramento

When asked if LeBron’s rap game was better than Kobe or Shaq’s, Drake said, “Oh yeah yeah, Kobe never rapped did he? I don’t know, ‘Shaq Fu’ and all that old Shaq Music was kind of dope. Don’t shake your head. Shaq is dope.” 

Shaquille O’Neal had a fifth studio album on the way titled, ‘Shaquille O’Neal presents his Superfriends, Vol. 1’ but it ended up never seeing the light of day as it went unreleased. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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