Shaq: The Day He Recorded With The Notorious B.I.G.
T.I. was a guest on The Big Podcast with Shaq & Jamal Crawford. On the episode, Shaquille O’Neal talks working with the Notorious B.I.G. on his platinum single, “You Can’t Stop the Reign.” Shaq isn’t just a NBA Hall of Famer, spokesperson for a lot of brands, and an analyst for TNT. In the ’90s, he also made hip-hop records and starred in a few movies. Even though we don’t acknowledge Kazaam.
During the interview, Crawford asked T.I. who was an artist that has passed away that he wishes he worked with. T.I. went on to quickly name Tupac, Michael Jackson, Prince, Marvin Gaye and tne Notorious B.I.G.. Crawford then shifted to asking Shaq what working with B.I.G. was like.
Shaq talks working with the Notorious B.I.G. on “You Can’t Stop the Reign”
Shaq talks about Biggie coming to his house, where his studio was, and being intimated, not wanting to mess up. The song was released six months before Biggie’s death, and Shaq had just signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. With that being said, he had an image to uphold, so he made Big re-record his verse to fit Shaq’s image.
“You Can’t Stop the Reign,” sampled “You Can’t Stop the Rain” by Loose Ends. The song did ok commercially, hitting #54 on the Hip Hop and R&B Charts. It wasn’t his most successful single, but as someone who lived through Shaq’s music career, it was one of his most well-received. Which I’m sure had to do with the Biggie feature.
Shaq’s had two Gold singles (5000,000 copies sold); “What’s Up Doc (Can We Rock)” ft. Fu-Schnickens and “(I Know I Got) Skillz” in 1993. He also had a Gold Album, Shaq Fu: Da Return in 1994. His first album, Shaq Diesel, went platinum (1,000,000 copies sold) in 1993.
In addition to everything he does, you can catch Shaq DJing as DJ Diesel at festivals all around the world!
5 NBA Teams to Watch Right Now
5. Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers are solid this year, but they aren’t one of the best of the best. That said, there’s lots of potential here. Watch these guys closely. It’s so fun to watch Tyrese Maxey, who is a total superstar. He’s been averaging an upwards of 28 points per game lately.
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4. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves had a big loss to the Bucks following the break, but then, they came back and definitively beat the Nets. The Wolves have been experiencing a few offensive hiccups, but they’re still one of the strongest teams in the league.
(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
3. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder crew is on fire. Coming back from break, they totally blew out the Clippers, Wizards and Rockets. Chet Holmgren is a star here, averaging around 24 points a game.
(Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
2. Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are another team that came out of break with fire. These guys have been on a winning streak since the break ended. Nikola Jokic has been especially strong since break, averaging around 27 points per game.
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
1. Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are really the strongest team in the NBA right now. They’re on a winning streak, which is nothing new for them. They have not one but a group of star players in Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Derrick White. It’s hard to see any team topping them.
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