Shaquille O’Neal featured top artists, such as Biggie Smalls (aka Notorious B.I.G.), alongside him for his rap records. Shaq has also collaborated with Jay Z during his early days traversing in the rap industry and with the ‘King of Pop,’ Michael Jackson. In his 2011 autobiography Shaq Uncut, the Diesel mentions several stories of him alongside some industry legends, including several instances with the late rapper Biggie Smalls.
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Biggie collaborated with Shaq for his third studio rap album, ‘You Can’t Stop the Reign, ‘ released on November 19, 1996. While recording the tracks for the album, Shaq had Biggie over at his studio and took at least an hour to record his verse. On the other hand, when Shaq gave Biggie a pen and paper to write down his verses, Biggie chose to freestyle his part and finished recording within 15 minutes.
Though Shaq wanted a break in the rap industry, he also sought to retain his image as a role model for the kids who looked up to him as an NBA player. Hence, when the Diesel figured Biggie’s bars were ‘too vulgar’ for his album, he requested the rapper to change his verses by saying,
“Hey Biggie, we’ve got to think about the kids.”
Biggie obliged and re-recorded with family-friendly verses for Shaq’s rap record within another fifteen minutes. The song that emerged as a result was called You Can’t Stop The Reign, eponymous to the album of which the track was a part. Shaquille O’Neal always had immense respect for Biggie and called him one of the only rappers to have faith in his rapping abilities, among others.
Shaquille O’Neal and Biggie Smalls shared a deep bond of friendship
It was clear that Shaq and Biggie shared a relatively close and tight-knit friendship. Shaquille O’Neal grew up around a time when rap music was an up-and-coming genre that was destined to dethrone the popularity of jazz and pop among the masses. Shaq’s passion for rap music drew him closer to some of the best rappers on the East Coast, especially Biggie Smalls.
Shaq remained a big brother to Biggie, who always offered words of advice and help whenever needed. In his autobiography Shaq Talks Back, the Big Man once shared an incident of Biggie seeking advice from Shaq about handling haters. The Big Man replied, “Don’t even worry about it. When you’re the best, some people are gonna like you, some people are gonna hate you. Worry about what you do. Make your money and take care of your family.”
While Shaq couldn’t establish himself as a rap icon, he surely did leave a mark on the NBA hardwood as one of the greatest players ever. Besides Shaq, many other NBA players have also tried their hand at making music. Currently, Damian Lillard’s music has been catching the attention of rap enthusiasts, who love the music Lillard releases under his stage name, Dame Dolla.
