Shaq O’Neal: NBA Rookie To Platinum-Certified Rapper

Shaquille O’Neal has always been a man with multiple talents.

Shaq, 52, is an NBA analyst for TNT, a well-known DJ, podcaster, and rapper, among other things.

Shaq’s NBA career was at its peak in the 1990s.

He joined the Orlando Magic in 1992 as the first overall pick of the year and went on to earn Rookie of the Year that season.

But in addition to his industrius NBA career, he had other goals.

In the same year, he appeared as Shaq Diesel with the Fu-Schnickens, his favorite rap group.

That was the beginning of his journey to becoming a platinum-certified rapper.

In a recent episode of Wynn Las Vegas, Shaq stated that Jive Records offered him $10 million for three albums. And he claims that is how he acquired the “best discography ever” for a non-rapper.

“Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Snoop, Ice Cube, and Notorious B.I.G.” Jay-Z, Nas, Fat Joe, Big Pun, Peter Gunz, Lord Tariq, Fu-Schnickens, RZA, Method Man, Redman, and Eric Sermon.

And the fact that I get to walk inside the studio with those people means I won,” he said.

And we can’t argue; the names speak for themselves.

He Recalls the Moments Decades Later

He collaborated with the who’s of the music industry by then, including Michael Jackson, Jay Z, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube, to produce some of the best hip-hop hits of the 1990s.

Many were delighted when the CD, titled Shaq Diesel after his stage moniker, went platinum.

Shaq recalls that he almost hesitated before agreeing to the arrangement, even though the bargain was too good to pass up.

When his agent informed him of the offer from Jive Records, after a moment of excitement and things settled down a little, the four-time NBA champion had a few things to think about.

He remembered the time and said:

“I said, ‘I gotta take it.'” “But then reality set in.”

He understood exactly what he wanted out of the transaction, and Shaq made it clear from the start. He added:

“I said I’d do it if it meant rapping with all of my favorite rappers.

And they agreed.”

And that’s how we got songs like (I Know I Got) Skillz and I’m Outstanding.

The former NBA star is now not only a rapper but also a well-known DJ.

After a more than two-decade absence, he returned to his repertoire with another album in 2023.