Shaquille O’Neal’s offseason venture of hosting the 64 Artist Music Tournament on Whozfire has revealed intriguing facets of his life. The 52-year-old openly admitted his musical shortcomings and shared that he often recorded songs in his kitchen.
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His revelation came after Kayo, a co-host of the YouTube channel, asked him about the importance of record quality in a competitive music tournament. Shaq quickly downplayed its necessity for success in this field.
Diesel initially admitted he didn’t possess a “G-14 classification” in distinguishing record quality. It was his humorous way of accepting his limited sensitivity to musical nuances.
Despite this, Shaq spoke about how he could still tell a professionally produced studio record from others. He discussed how his experience preparing music in his kitchen gave him a basic understanding of these differences. The 4x champion stated,
“I don’t have that ear. I don’t have that G-14 classification. That’s why I asked the question to guys that have the ear. But I could tell when it’s studio done… For example, I don’t go to no fancy studio when I send you my records. That should be in my goddamn kitchen… I make the beat, I do the bar, and then I send it to you and you do your magic.”
Shaq’s accomplishments as a rapper lend weight to his perspective. For context, he recorded his first-ever studio album named ‘Shaq Diesel’ during his rookie NBA season. Shortly after its release in 1993, the album hit platinum for its focus on the East Coast hip-hop genre.
This achievement helped Shaq remain connected to the music industry. He released four more albums throughout his career and even transitioned into the role of a disc jockey after retiring from basketball.
Shaq’s success is rooted in his straightforward way of making music. As a result, he is sticking with his tried-and-true methods. This simplicity thus inspires new musicians to explore their creativity with whatever resources they have.
At the same time, he was honest about his limitations. To put it in perspective, none of the four albums he released after his debut matched the success of his first. This showcases how his limited musical instincts eventually prevented him from becoming a major star in the industry.
However, Shaq isn’t one to complain about it. He views his music career as a way to follow his passion and continues to value that over any tangible rewards.
