"I'm still #1" - Shaquille O'Neal calls out 'any challengers' after dropping freestyle rap over Drake's “I’m Goin In”
Shaquille O'Neal, AKA DJ Diesel, has long been a part of the music scene. As NBA fans may recall, in 1993, the No. 1 pick in the 1992 draft dropped his first studio album, Shaq Diesel. Over the next five years, he would release another three albums, including his RIAA Gold-certified album Shaq Fu: Da Return. This week, the four-time NBA champ went back to his roots and dropped a freestyle.
The move was a pivot from O'Neal's latest endeavors in the world of Electronic Dance Music, which saw him release his first EDM album as DJ Diesel this year. Nevertheless, O'Neal has continued to remind fans that he can still rap with the best.
While using Drake's "I'm Goin In" beat, the Hall of Famer dropped a freestyle that caught the attention of the NBA community. Much like he did earlier this year when he featured on 3 Lokos, Shaquille O'Neal put the game on notice. O'Neal captioned the post:
"i’m goin in. i’m still #1 accepting all challengers"
Looking at Shaquille O'Neal's music career and latest release
Shaquille O'Neal may be one of the most feared players in NBA history, but he has shown repeatedly over the years just how passionate he's about music. According to the Hall of Famer himself, when he was just 14, he saw Public Enemy live for the first time.
The moment was one of the most formative ones for the young NBA hopeful, who became interested in DJing after seeing the performance. According to Yahoo, he would save up money to buy his first set of turntables for $200 so that he could start DJing.
As previously mentioned, once he made it to the NBA, O'Neal pursued rap on the side, releasing four hip hop albums in the 90s. Most recently, though, he has continued to pursue EDM under the name DJ Diesel. While many are surprised to find that the rap fan loves EDM, for O'Neal, it's the closest thing to playing in the NBA.
In an interview with Yahoo, the former player spoke about the similarities between an EDM show and playing in the NBA Finals:
“When I DJ, it gives me the same adrenaline rush as a playoff championship game. That's why I do it. For 10 years after I retired, I didn't have that. I would get it in spurts. I'd go to a restaurant, and, ‘Shaq!’ — and then done. I needed more.
"So, when I went to see Tiesto perform for 100,000 people, hit that, I was like, ‘I've never seen nothing like this before. … This feels like a championship parade.’”
After releasing his debut EDM album, Gorilla Warfare, as DJ Diesel, Shaquille O'Neal has shown with his latest freestyle that he isn't done with rapping yet.