Shaquille O’Neal was quite the jack of all trades in the early 1990s. His basketball career aside, Shaq was invested in several hobbies, one of which included a budding career in rap. A big fan of the music industry, the four-time NBA Champion released several albums, with his debut album going platinum. He was so good, that he was even offered a $10,000,000 deal by Jive Records. However, it was never about the money for Shaq, and as he revealed to The Sporting Tribune, it was the opportunity to work with legends of the game that really enticed him.
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Big Diesel claimed he was offered a massive $10,000,000 deal in the 1990s. Supposedly, Jive Records approached the big man offering him the deal for three albums. And, as history shows, Shaq accepted that deal, and he went on to release more than three albums. One of which, his debut album Shaq Diesel, which came out in 1993, went platinum. A feat, that makes him one of the most successful “non-rappers” of all time.
Shaquille O’Neal enjoyed rap because of all the legends he got to work with
From 1993 to 2001, Shaquille O’Neal released six rap albums. While all of them were wildly successful and raked in a ton of money, the paycheck wasn’t a huge motivating factor for Shaq. Rather than the money, it was the chance to work with some of his favorite rappers that really got him involved. Mentioning the likes of Biggie, Phife Dawg, and Mobb Deep, Shaq explained just how much he enjoyed rapping.
As he told Adrian Hernandez, the money didn’t really speak much to him. After all, when he was first offered a deal, Shaq was earning around $3,000,000 playing for the Orlando Magic. So, $10,000,000 for three albums wasn’t exactly lucrative. The only reason he got into the business was because of his innate talent and the chance he got to work with some of his heroes.
“No disrespect to the art form or the rappers. I’m very proud of them. But, the first check did nothing for me, my brother. I was like, “For real! This is it?”. So then I changed my mindset. I’m going to appreciate the moments because the Notorious B.I.G., no check can amount to that. Mobb Deep, no check can amount to that. Phife Dawg, no check can amount to that. I’ve probably had the best discography of a non-rapper. So, those moments, especially when I built a studio in my house and those guys would come down and we chop it up…that’s what I did it for. Because four, five years before that I was just like every other kid…I was a fan. So now to have the opportunity to rock with these guys…that was the moment that I lived for!”
Shaq truly has achieved a lot in the music industry. While his genius may not be as adept as some of the rapping greats, he has had some incredible songs. From “You Can’t Stop the Reign” featuring The Notorious B.I.G. to “No Love Lost” featuring Jay-Z and Lord Tariq, he has done what most up-and-coming rappers can only dream of.
Shaq is still thriving in the music industry under the monicker of DJ Diesel
It has been a while since Shaquille O’Neal has dabbled in the rap game. However, that hasn’t prevented him from continuing to work in the music industry. Currently, Shaq is pursuing a career as a DJ, under the monicker of DJ Diesel. He’s been honing his craft for quite some time now, and recently, at the age of 51, he released his first EDM album, Gorilla Warfare.
He truly is a man with many talents. And, although he is focused on his career as a DJ right now, the chance of him returning to the rap game cannot be ruled out. He has been featured in a few songs here and there recently. But, fans will be hoping he makes a full return very soon.
