Shaquille O’Neal is quite a talented individual. Of his many talents, one of his most well-known ones is his ability to rap. Shaq is a great rapper and has found much success in the music industry. Having delivered both a gold and platinum album, Big Diesel has had many influences. One of them is The Notorious B.I.G, who helped Shaq a lot in his music career. So, when asked to name his all-time starting five of rappers on Shaq Fu Radio, the four-time NBA Champion had to put 6’5″ Biggie Smalls at the center spot.
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Biggie and another legend Jay-Z were huge inspirations for Shaq’s entry into the music business. He has worked with them closely on a number of occasions, and it is thanks to them that he secured a big money deal. One that saw him earn $10,000,000 for three albums. Thus, it is only fitting that ‘The King of New York’ makes the roster.
Shaquille O’Neal pays homage to The Notorious B.I.G and places him in his starting five of all-time rappers
Appearing on his own station, Shaq Fu Radio, Shaquille O’Neal, discussed the topic of rap. A veteran of the industry himself, Shaq has had the pleasure of working with some of the biggest artists in the industry. From Nas to Jay-Z to The Notorious B.I.G, he’s worked with a number of the greats.
So, when on the topic, The Big Aristotle couldn’t help but talk about some of his favorite rappers of all time. However, rather than rank them, he decided to make a starting five out of his favorites. And, for the most part, he had quite a strong team. Shaq had Lil Wayne at the one, Eminem at the two, Jay-Z at the three, and Busta Rhymes at the four.
A great lineup, but one that becomes a little questionable at the number five spot. O’Neal selected his good friend and late rap legend, Biggie Smalls to play the center spot. And, while there can be no denying his greatness on the mic, standing at 6’3″ makes him somewhat of a bad fit for the five spot. Nevertheless, it is one star-studded roster from start to finish.
“My starting five all-time favorite rappers. I don’t like to answer this because I know a lot of these guys and I don’t want to get anybody mad, because I really do love them all, so here we go. I got Little Weezy. At the two, I got Eminem. At three, I got Jay-Z. At four, I got Busta Rhymes. And, at the big man spot you know I got Notorious B.I.G!”
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It’s a great tribute to a rap legend like Biggie, and one that is well-earned. After all, Shaq received a huge amount of help from The Notorious B.I.G., seeing as he did a verse for free when other artists were asking for $200,000 a verse.
Biggie and Jay-Z hopped collaborated with Shaq for free while others were asking for $200,000
Despite finding much success in the music industry, breaking into it wasn’t easy for Shaquille O’Neal. The Hall of Famer struggled to find artists to collaborate with. Many of them had extremely high fees, demanding $200,000 per verse. It is here that both Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G entered the picture.
These two legends of the rap game were integral to Shaq’s rap career as they worked with him for absolutely nothing.
Shaq will forever be grateful for having met and worked with Biggie. And, although the legendary figure passed away in 1997, he will always be remembered by Shaq and a host of others, fans, and colleagues alike.
