“I take it personal”: Shaquille O'Neal takes subtle dig at D.O.L.L.A. aka Damian Lillard while proclaim himself to be the best rapper/athlete ever
Aside from basketball, music has always been one of Shaquille O'Neal's biggest passions. He recently took a shot at a current NBA star when discussing his re-entry into the space.
Along with becoming a DJ, Shaq has also gotten back into rapping. His most notable appearance was on Meek Mill and Rick Ross' latest album, where he was featured in the "Shaq and Kobe" remix.
During a recent interview, Shaquille O'Neal was asked about what motivated him to get back into hip-hop. For the LA Lakers legend, it's about going down as the greatest rapper/athlete alive. He also cited people saying Damian Lillard is the best as a major source of motivation.
"I take it personal when they say somebody else is better than me and [you know] the name I’m talking about. So listen, I love him, good friend of mine, but I have to make sure they say 'Shaq is the best rapper/athlete ever,'” Shaq said. "I’ll see something [like] 'but Dame [D.O.L.L.A. aka Damian Lillard] is better.' Oh, he is? I just start writing again."
Lillard, who was also featured on the Shaq and Kobe remix, has grown to be a successful artist himself. He currently has five albums, the most recent coming out in 2023. Per Spotify, the Milwaukee Bucks star has roughly 330,000 monthly streams.
Shaquille O'Neal and Damian Lillard have taken shots at each other in the past
Shaquille O'Neal and Damian Lillard might have appeared on a song together, but their relationship in the music world has not always been great. Back in 2019, each of them released multiple songs taking shots at the other.
It all began in 2019, when Lillard appeared on Joe Budden's podcast to promote his first album. During the interview, the NBA star said that he feels he is a better rapper than Shaq.
Shaquille O'Neal did not take this sitting down, and responded in a rather outlandish way. He posted a video on his Instagram of his rapping with a puppet that looked like himself.
Lillard did not take this sitting down, and decided to come back with a song of his own. He later released "Reign Reign Go Away," where he cited multiple things in his career. Among the many slams in the song is Lillard stating that Kobe Bryant won him his championships with the LA Lakers.
The final response in this beef came from the Hall of Fame center. He responded with "Second Round Knockout," a title with multiple meanings. Not only was it his second diss track, but it was a dig at Lillard's playoff success with the Portland Trail Blazers as well.
Following this second song from Shaq, the two seemed to have squashed their beef and moved on.