Shaq is one of the all-time greatest athletes turned rappers, as the big man’s 1993 debut album, Shaq Diesel, went platinum. Shaq released four albums in total, and worked with some of the biggest producers and artists in hip-hop in the 90s.
However, there was one collaboration from a song he recorded with a West Coast legend while in Los Angeles with the Lakers that never saw the light of day. On a recent episode of The Big Podcast, Shaq had Ice Cube join him and they discussed a project Cube was executive producing for him while he was with the Lakers. Cube set it up for Shaq to get in the booth with Dr. Dre, and Shaq and Dre cooked up a song called “That’s Gangsta,” which Shaq thought “was nice.” Cube saw things a bit differently, and made the executive decision for Shaq to not let it ever see the light of day.
“Cube was executive producing one of my records,” Shaq said. “And he put me in the studio with Dr. Dre. I did a song called ‘That’s Gangsta’. Cube heard it and was like, ‘Nope. We’re not releasing this.’ … He was like, ‘Shaq, you’re a f*cking Laker, bro. I don’t want you talking about nothing gangsta. We not doing none of that sh*t.’ And it never came out.”
While Adam Lefkoe seemed to think it was because the song wasn’t good, Cube noted it had nothing to do with that. He was trying to protect Shaq’s image, noting the then-Lakers star didn’t need to present himself as being “gangsta” in L.A., as he had mass appeal already and didn’t need to try to put on that image.
“It was good. Shaq is a dope MC, but I just felt the record was off-brand for him,” Cube said. “Because, to me, he’s more than just gangsta. He’s loved by millions, loved by kids. He already established that. And why go backwards when you’re already forward?”
Shaq would go on to note he thanked Cube for making that decision for him, and it shows how much respect Ice Cube had for Shaq that he would think about Shaq’s overall career as a basketball player (and one of the NBA’s most marketable guys, ever) while executive producing an album. Players don’t always have someone willing to think of the bigger picture and tell them no, and in this case, Shaq had that in the form of a music legend in Cube.
On the Draymond Green Show” Shaq recently related a story of how, at a crucial juncture in the 2006 NBA Finals, he inspired Dwyane Wade, his Miami Heat colleague. With the Heat behind the Dallas Mavericks 0–2, Shaq, who was struggling personally and seeing his own decline, had an important talk/argument with Wade. Shaq said to Draymond, “D-Wade, our first argument was in the Finals. We go down 0-2. I’m declining as Shaq.” He continued, I’m going through a divorce. I’m not Shaq. My first three guys are terrible, awful. So I pulled D-Wade in the room and said, ‘What the f**k you gonna do man?’”
“Motherf***er, you want to be the man, what the f**k you gonna do?’ I wasn’t trying to fight; I was just asking questions. He had a look of relief like, ‘Oh, I can?’ So yeah, motherf***er, I got four people on me.’ And he said, ‘Okay, Shaq.’ And he went off.” The argument was during the most pivotal time it could have been. The rest is history as the Heat went on to eventually beat the Dallas Mavericks in stunning fashion.
Shaq’s Motivational Talk With Dwyane Wade Sparked Their Championship Run
“We go down 0-2, I’m declining as Shaq, I’m going through a divorce… So I pull D-Wade in the room like ‘You wanna be the man? What the f*ck you gonna do?'”
Shaq tells Draymond Green about his first argument with Dwyane Wade
Wade’s play in the series’ final games was outstanding, and this talk proved to be a turning moment for him. Wade had incredible stats in the 2006 NBA Finals. With a 46.8% shooting percentage from the field, he averaged 34.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.7 steals a game. Wade scored an incredible 42 points in this pivotal game 3, which helped the Heat win 98-96. Wade finished Game 3 with a box score of 42 points on 14 of 26 shots, 13 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists, and 0 blocks. His scoring outburst was crucial in changing the course of the series and giving his squad newfound confidence. And it was all thanks to Shaq getting real.
In the series-clinching Game 6, Wade scored 36 points, securing the Heat’s first NBA title with a 95-92 victory. Wade’s ability to rise to the occasion in the most important times solidified his position as one of the best postseason performances in NBA history. Shaq won his fourth and final ring of his career, and the rest is history. Overall, those finals were one of the wildest ever. We saw the ascension of D-Wade on the biggest stage there is.
It appears that 1999 WRITE THE FUTURE has an NBA legend keeping tabs on their work. The genre-bending collective that is linked to record label 88rising has quickly become a new force in hip-hop. Their unique and unpredictable style has given us some fun records. Due to their versatility, they are working with all sorts of artists such as Rich Brian, Rick Ross, redveil, Smino, BADBADNOTGOOD, Amaarae, and more. However, their newest single, “Raw I Know I Got It,” sees them team up with Shaquille O’Neal, his EDM DJ alias DIESEL, and producer NITTI.
Casual hip-hop fans may not know that the NBA big man was rapping on the side during the early stages of his playing career. Even though he took a long hiatus from spitting in the booth, Shaq has kept the passion alive. Recently, he has been hopping on tracks with Meek Mill and Rick Ross, as well as the L.A. duo Coyote. On “Raw I Know I Got It,” Shaq is bragging and boasting to the max about his accomplishments when he was viewed as the most dominant player ever.
Listen To “Raw I Know I Got It” By DIESEL, NITTI, 1999 WRITE THE FUTURE, & Shaquille O’Neal
“Broken records, broken backboards / Broke the records for broken backboards, I’m that raw.” However, he also gets a little vulnerable, as he talks about missing his close friend, teammate, and fellow all-timer, Kobe Bryant. The Diesel also shows love to Gianna or “Gigi,” saying that he would name Los Angeles WNBA team after her. All in all, it is another great performance from Shaq and this track continues to show 1999’s unlimited range.
What are your thoughts on “Raw I Know I Got It” by 1999 WRITE THE FUTURE, Shaquille O’Neal, DIESEL, and NITTI? Is this one of 1999’s better collaborations as of late? Is Shaq the greatest NBA rapper of all time, why or why not? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding 1999 WRITE THE FUTURE and Shaquille O’Neal. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.
Quotable Lyrics:
When I’m not with Kenny Smith I’m still close to a jet Can’t believe my little brother Kobe gone Thank you for the three-peat If I talked about that pain, you wouldn’t believe me Might go buy the L.A. Sparks and change the name to the GG’s
The Golden State Warriors Draymond Green appeared on Shaquille O’Neal’s “The Big Podcast” yesterday and had some words for Stephen A. Smith. The two talked on a wide range of subjects, including who would win between Greens 2016 Warriors and Shaq’s 2000 Lakers. Additionally, the pair talked about sports media legend Stephen A. Smith. “Stephen A. Smith really pissed me off,” Green told Shaq. He explained his beef with Stephen A., saying that regardless of his on-camera persona, he always defended his character. Draymond claimed Stephen A. did not do the same when Draymond went through his suspension earlier in the NBA season.
Green says he “lost a lot of respect” for Smith as a result. Following that, on Thursday mornings, Stephen A. Smith addressed both Shaq and Green. He did not hold back. Stephen A. Smith called out Draymond for his comments and let Shaq have some of his fury, too, in a fascinating rant. Stephen A. is one person Draymond should try not to have a war of words with. Stephen A. Threw down the gauntlet of First Take and had to make things very clear to Draymond.
Stephen A. Smith went in on Draymond, saying, ‘I saw what Draymond Green said about me. ‘Well, I’ve now lost respect for him.” He continued, “Listen, Draymond and I… I’ll never hate him. I’ll never have anything but love for him. But I don’t respect what he did. You know my number. You’ve spoken to me before. Why am I hearing about it on Shaq’s podcast?” He then turned his attention briefly to Shaq, saying, “It would have been nice for Shaq to follow up, and say ‘yo, this is Stephen A. you’re talking about. This brother always defends you.’” He continued saying, “We talk about being men. I’m not hard to find! Draymond could have called me up. Draymond could have had a conversation with me.”
Stephen A. Smith went on to say, “I did not do that. You’re going to take a sound bite… You know how much stuff I’ve said positive about Draymond Green? You know how many times I’ve come to the defense of Draymond Green? About his character in the league office, in media, in the newsroom, on podcasts, on various interviews I’ve done?!” He concluded his rant, saying,”’I have never, ever failed to support him… And all I’m saying is if you’re going to have a problem with me, let a brother know.” All in all, Draymond probably should have talked all this out with Stephen A. It seems like he wanted to air his feelings publicly for content.
On the Emmy-winning program ‘Inside the NBA,’ the dynamic quartet of Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson, along with guest Draymond Green, were in their element while covering Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals series between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves. Amidst their usual basketball discussion, a hilarious moment unfolded. Last week, when the Timberwolves eliminated the Nuggets, Anthony Edwards, in a moment of jest, told Charles Barkley, who claimed he hadn’t been to Minnesota in 20 years, ‘Bring your a**.’ This response instantly went viral. The ‘Inside the NBA’ crew, true to their nature, had a field day with the incident during their recent broadcast, with Shaq even referencing Metro Boomin’s infamous Drake diss.
Since the TNT program would be in town to cover the aforementioned games, Charles only wanted to ask Edwards for a list of places. His question gave us Anthony Edwards’s “Bring you a**” quote as well as confirmation he will send the Chuckster Minnesota’s best restaurants, the All-Star guard promised. During last night’s broadcast, they displayed photoshopped pictures of Barkel and the crew referencing Edwards’s viral quote. It prompted Shaq to wildly say, “I didn’t know you had all that a** back there, Chuck! Let me see Chuck’s feature again. MOM. BBL Chuck! BBL Chucky!”
Shaq’s jab against Barkley is a clear nod to Metro Boomin’s popular Drake diss record, “BBL Drizzy.” The song made an allusion to the purported cosmetic procedure that Drake was accused of having undergone. Shaq made a clever move by using the freshly released diss track to taunt Barkley. Everybody on the set was laughing, even Sir Charles.
The Inside The NBA crew is still enjoying themselves despite the tough times for the program. The impending end of the show is becoming more and more a reality as the NBA has decided to look elsewhere for its NBA rights. How can you look at last night’s “BBL Chucky” moment and not want the show to continue? It’s so good people are willing to just ignore that Draymond Green is there. Overall, it was one of many hilarious moments the show has had over the years.
“Which great team would beat this great team?” is a timeless and entertaining, if not pointless, sports argument. The media gets hours and hours of content with this very prompt because it’s easy and fun to think about. Though it’s entertaining to speculate about how opposing basketball styles and eras would fair against each other, we’ll never get to witness them play, so a definitive response will never be possible. This subject was recently discussed by Shaquille O’Neal and Draymond Green, the star of the Warriors, on The Big Podcast with Shaq.
In a seven-game series, O’Neal questioned whether one of his championship teams, the Lakers, and one from the Warriors would prevail. Green discussed the matchup that, in his opinion, would be most effective in slowing down O’Neal. Draymond broke down the scheme to stop Shaq. What resulted was a question about who would be guarding Shaq’s partner in crime, Kobe Bryant. Drayomds reply was taken as disrespect as the big man had to check Draymond with quickness.
“I do think there were defensive schemes that we could have thrown at you to affect you,” Green replied to Shaq, who looked puzzled. “One is not letting you get the ball. So we gonna guard you with a guy in front of you a guy behind you…” O’Neal interrupted, telling Dray that it had already been tried before in the past and didn’t work. Draymond brashly replied, “Yeah I wasn’t on the court though.” After mentioning the shooters he was surrounded by, O’Neal agreed with Green when he brought up the point that NBA players weren’t making three-pointers as frequently as they do in the modern game.
O’Neal questioned Green on who was defending the legendary Kobe Bryant following some more back-and-forth, during which Green stated his belief that the Dubs would win the series. When Green eventually answered, he said, “Klay,” to which O’Neal was ready to drop the subject entirely. “We’ll continue this conversation on your podcast,” O’Neal told Green, basically putting a pin in that comment. Overall, Shaq doesn’t think Klay holds a candle to Kobe Bryant, and rightfully so.
It is rumored that NBA executives plan to negotiate $7.4 billion annual broadcast deals with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon. Furthermore, this would be a serious setback for TNT. As talks go into the “final stage,” rumors state that the NBA is formalizing written contracts with each of the three corporations this week. Inside the NBA, fans who watch TNT are sure to be outraged by the news. The show, featuring Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson as commentators, is reportedly set to end.
If these negotiations go through, the upcoming season of the program will be its last. There are currently rumors that Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT, may file a lawsuit. The league’s most valuable series of games, which include the NBA Finals, a Conference Final, weekly primetime matchups, and the WNBA, are reportedly worth $2.8 billion to ESPN annually. NBC is expected to pay $2.6 billion a year for the “B” package. The package is expected to feature a program named Basketball Night in America that will run on Sunday nights following the NFL season. Additionally, the report says that NBC will guarantee two primetime spots each week, a conference semifinal and a conference final.
The WNBA, first-round playoff games, and the In-Season Tournaments would all be included in Amazon’s contract. Furthermore, their deal is reportedly valued at up to $2 billion. It is anticipated that the deal’s final details will be worked out throughout the coming week. Charles Barkley has said of TNT potentially losing the NBA, “Barkley was a little less certain, adding: ‘It’d be sad (if the show ended). We don’t know… I hope it does (continue). Not just for me and Kenny, Ernie, and Shaq, but for the real people who work there, it sucks right now to be stressful.”
Fans have been grieving the iconic show’s likely demise by posting clips of their favorite moments on social media. When TNT’s contract runs out next season, it will definitely be the end of an era. Overall, this is sad news for NBA fans. Ultimately, Inside The NBA will continue to cover the NBA throughout the next season, so fans should be sure to cherish the iconic show while it’s still on.
Last week, Shaq’s ex-wife, Shaunie Henderson, released her book and did an interview about it. She received some backlash for things she said about Shaq in her book. In the book, Shaunie said that she questioned whether or not she was truly ever in love with Shaq. Additionally, Shaq responded with a self-deprecating response on Instagram. Now, she is responding to the criticism she has received for something she says was taken out of context.
Shaunie Henderson was upset when a line from her new book “UNDEFEATED: Changing the Rules and Winning on My Own Terms” went viral, criticizing Shaquille O’Neal. In the book, she shared her perspective, describing Shaquille as unreliable and a repeat cheater. She wrote, “Looking back, I don’t know that I was ever really in love with the man, but I was in love with the idea of being married to the man I had a family with.” She continued, “I was in love with the idea of building a life together. I truly did enjoy spending time with him.” All in all, she is now clarifying that the quotes were taken out of context. Additionally, she says the response to them was not fair.
Shaq responded to the quotes on social media. The big man said, “I understand… I wouldn’t have been in love with me either. Wishing you all the best. All love, Shaq.” Now, in an interview with People Magazine, Shaunie says the quote was taken way out of context. She said in the interview, “I’m not a word girl. I’m a character girl, and since I’ve left the marriage of Shaquille, my character has spoken for itself.”
Shaunie goes on to explain further, saying, “When you love somebody, you love somebody, but to be in love with somebody is a different feeling, and I will be honest, I didn’t realize that until I found the love of my life right now and I’m in this marriage. I’m like, oh my gosh. It’s a different feeling.” Shaunie adds she doesn’t know why Shaq would run with the out-of-context passage on social media regarding Shaq. Overall, Shaunie Henderson stands by her comments and feelings.
It looks like the sports legends don’t want to be left out of the 2024 rap war because who would have thought we’d be getting a diss track aimed at Shannon Sharpe from Shaquille O’Neal? In the space of three short days, the two prominent figures in sports media have suddenly begun feuding. It all started when Shannon Sharpe criticized Shaq on his podcast, and O’Neal responded on Instagram. But is there really animosity between the two sportsmen? Or is it all just for show? Here’s how we got here.
The Fuel: Shaq Shares His Opinion On The MVP Title
On Wednesday, May 8, 2024, Shaq and his team announced on TNT’sInside The NBA that Nikola Jokic had won MVP for the third time in four years. After reviewing several of Jokic’s stats, host Ernie Johnson asked Shaq for his opinion. Shaq promptly expressed his dissatisfaction with the voting results. He also suggested that the Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should have won instead.
“Congratulations to Joker, you are the best big man in the league, but … I thought Shai Alexander deserved it,” he said. Moments later, Jokic joined the show, and Shaq spoke with the newly crowned MVP. While he praised Jokic, he reiterated his perspective on who he felt deserved the title. “Joker, as the president of the Big Man alliance, you are the vice president of the Big Man alliance, you know I love you,” Shaq said. “The best player in the league, I wanna congratulate you. But I want you to hear it from me first, I thought that SGA should’ve been the MVP. That’s no disrespect to you, but congratulations.” Jokic took Shaq’s opinion in stride, even cracking a joke amidst the conversation, and all was well and good until Shannon Sharpe joined the conversation.
The Lighter: Shannon Sharpe Accuses Shaq Of Jealousy
The following day, on the new episode of the Nightcap podcast, Shannon Sharpe was discussing the MVP results and called Shaq envious. He then suggested that Shaq had acted out of jealousy since, according to Sharpe, he isn’t among the NBA’s greatest. “I think a part of Shaq, he might not ever admit this, but Shaq sees these guys win these MVPs and is a little envious,” Sharpe said. “I understand that Shaq got four titles and he has three Finals MVPs, but Shaq knows deep down. We should be having the discussion — for G.O.A.T., Shaq’s name is never brought up in the discussion.”
As if that weren’t enough, Shannon Sharpe went on to say that Shaq robbed himself of such titles because he “didn’t take it seriously enough.” He continued, “Shaq should have five MVPs. Shaq should have seven titles. And he sees a guy like Nikola Jokic that’s not as dominant as him and he gets three in four years, and people are talking about him.”
Shaq didn’t take the comments lightly. He took to Instagram later on Thursday night and shared an extensive response to Shannon Sharpe. “You took me sticking up for @shai as jealousy?? shows how smart you are and how you say anything to get clicks. So, here’s some clickbait for you. If you ain’t ranked in the top ten in your profession, then you can’t speak on me… I have it, you don’t, not in my profession. And your goat debate never wanted to be the goat. I wanted to be who you should greet me as THE MOST DOMINANT EVER,” he wrote.
Soon after, Shannon Sharpe made a response to Shaq’s Instagram rant on Friday’s episode of Nightcap. While he clarified that he never said he was as great as Shaq, Sharpe insisted he got where he is through his hard work and consistency. “I’ve never professed that I was as great as Shaq,” he said. “But what I will say, I got what I got because I worked my ass off. Now Shaq has been the one to say it, that he didn’t work as hard, that he didn’t train as hard, he didn’t eat as well as he should have… Yeah, you’re more famous than me. Yeah, you’re more well-known. You’re gonna have way more money than I ever had. But nobody will ever say that I was lazy or I cheated myself. That’s all I got for you, big boy. I ain’t got nothing else for you. I ain’t here to argue with you, I’m not here to debate with you.”
O’Neal released a portion of his diss track aimed at Sharpe later that day on Instagram. The 1-minute 30-second track begins with a collection of soundbites. Shannon Sharpe can be heard discussing how much it bothers Shaq to have only one MVP award. He then comes for Sharpe with rap lines like, “Shannon Sharpe, man, you’re way beneath me / Your whole demeanor is faker than new rapper beefy / You’re soft, before you get fly, you rather tweet me.”
Shaq subsequently expressed that he was done with the beef. “Love y’all, now I’m done with this. I’ll be at the Bahamas crib if anyone needs me,” he wrote. Shannon Sharpe further clarified by posting on X (formerly Twitter) that there is no animosity between him and Shaq. And just like that, it seems the feud between the two legends is dead.
The Shaq and Shannon Sharpe beef is hitting another level. It all started over Shaq’s awkward interview with Nikola Jokic. He told Jokic he believed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserved to be named NBA MVP instead of the Denver Big. Jokic didn’t think too much about the comment, but it was a very awkward and unnecessary moment. Shannon Sharp responded to Shaq’s comments on his Nightcap podcast, insinuating that he is jealous of the now-three-time MVP Jokic. Sharp said Shaq’s lack of drive and discipline is what is keeping him out of the GOAT conversation. Sharpe said on his podcast that the big man underachived. He said, “Shaq should have five MVPs.” Shaq did not take kindly to the slights.
Shaq responded with a lengthy Instagram comment where he fired serious shots at Shannon Sharp. he refuted his defense of SGA as him being jealous of Joker. He then went on to disparage Shannon Sharpe’s accomplishments, saying he isn’t even top-10 in his position as an NFL tight end. Now, the TNT analyst has upped the ante. He has released a diss track aimed right at Shannon Sharpe, and social media cannot believe it.
Shaq has joined the rap beef trend. His diss against Shannon Sharpe is short but effective, as the big man delivers some hefty blows to his foe. Shaq has always been a talented rapper, so it’s no surprise that, with everything going on in the world of rap, he felt inclined to make a diss record. It starts off with a former NBA player gassing up the Big Diesel to Shannon and Ochocinco. He raps that Shannon Sharpe is way beneath the NBA Hall of Famer. The song cuts off in the middle of his explosive verse, so hopefully, there is a part two on the way.
Shannon Sharpe will certainly respond at any minute. Don’t expect the NFL Hall of Famer to hop in the booth, though. This sports personality beef all started due to an awkward situation Shaq created. He had to have known his comments to Nikola Jokic would cause some controversy. Overall, the diss track has made this ordeal that much more fun.
(@nojumper)
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(@CultureCrave) 
NO BEEF 
JUST CONTEXT 