Tyreek Hill isn’t even playing football right now, yet somehow he’s still managing to make heads turn with his antics.
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After tearing his ACL early in the season, the Dolphins WR stunned everyone by quietly changing his Instagram bio to “Unemployed.” What made fans worry about the worst was the fact that this change came right after Hill admitted on Terron Armstead’s podcast that he genuinely doesn’t know what the next chapter of his career looks like. He loves football, he said, but the physical and mental toll of the sport has started to feel heavier than ever.
And amid this uncertainty around his future and lengthy layoff in the present, Hill decided to completely switch careers and try his hand at music. The first hint came last week when Andy Slater reported that Hill had told Luther Campbell he wanted to become a DJ. Hours later, the sidelined wide receiver made the rumor official via Twitter: “Coming to play house music near you.”
A handful of days later, Hill’s latest Instagram post with the caption, “Up to Something, the type that turn to Some thing #DJCheetah,” shows him behind a full DJ rig. He’s head down, focused, and twisting knobs.
The room around Cheetah was buzzing too, as people cheered every time he picked the beat back up, and Hill responded by bouncing and shaking hands like he’d just scored a touchdown in a nightclub.
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That said, was the music any good? Well, it was all over the place, to say the least. The 808s were oddly played by Hill; the transitions between beats and songs were as badly timed as they could be. In fact, the only time the transition sounded half decent, Hill’s audience in the room erupted, with a couple of men going to dap the WR.
And, as usual, the internet didn’t show any mercy. “This [is] genuinely the worst sh*t I’ve ever heard Tyreek,” wrote one. “Love the effort, but that’s just awful djing,” added another.
There were a few non-critical comments, though, as one fan urged Hill to show his DJing skills at the next Dolphins home game: “Sideline DJ for next Fins home game????”
And then there were the rest, who couldn’t care less about the music, as long as he shows up next season fit and fine from his ACL tear. “Do this as much as u want, but we need u back next season,” they penned.
As of now, it’s unclear how truly serious Hill is with DJing. But if he needs any inspiration, Shaquille O’Neal is the guy for him, as the NBA legend did it first and did it well.
After retirement left him directionless, Shaq rediscovered DJing, and the adrenaline of performing filled the competitive void basketball had left behind. Today, DJ Diesel has headlined Tomorrowland, Lollapalooza, and his own traveling carnival.
So if Tyreek Hill ever decides the NFL chapter is closing amid his ACL tear, an uncertain Dolphins future, and a $51.9M cap hit looming, he already has a blueprint. Shaq has shown exactly how a superstar can reinvent himself without losing the thrill of performing.
