Shaquille O'Neal's music talent reaches the next level as he performs for 115,000 people at the Lollapalooza in Chicago
Shaquille O'Neal, a man of many talents, achieved one of his best feats as a DJ when he performed for a 115,000-crowd at Lollapalooza in Chicago. Shaq, who goes by the stage name "DJ Diesel," shared this with his followers on his official deejaying page on Instagram.
"Lollapalooza ... that was the biggest crowd I've DJed for," wrote Shaq.
He also added:
"Man I’m still tryin to process that @lollapalooza what the hell.. thank u guys for one of the most unforgettable sets of my DJ career. Special thanks to @hulu @flybychicago @z.clik."
Shaq invests the bulk of his offseason time in doing shows as DJ Diesel. He tours abroad and plays all across the country. It is a heartfelt passion for Shaq. Here's what he told Forbes once:
"My new business model is I invest in things that are going to change people's lives. It costs me a lot of money to rent this building, security people, who cares?! I'll probably make some money back, I'll probably break even. I'd rather have that title — 'Shaq had the best party ever.'"
What kind of music does Shaquille O'Neal play?
Shaquille O'Neal's music career started with him rapping. He eventually leaned towards becoming a DJ and invested in that interest after retirement. He plays dance music with heavy bass-hitting beats, and there's a simple answer behind that.
Here's what the NBA and Lakers legend told "Billboard" in an interview two years ago:
"The whole genre is energy. I missed that once retiring. Bass music was the vice I was missing and desperately needed."
Shaquille O'Neal was among the most dominant and explosive players in his NBA career. His playing days were stacked with highlight reels that are still prominent. He possessed pure energy when hooping, allowing him to be an imposing player. Bass music does resonate with his personality on the court. That can be seen when he performs his sets at various festivals and parties.
Shaquille O'Neal compared the energy of playing music in front of thousands of fans to the energy of being in Game 7 of the NBA finals. He first learned of that when he attended the Tomorrowland festival in 2015. Here's what he said about this in an interview with Forbes:
"Being at TomorrowWorld brought me back to Game 7 energy. The co2, the crowd of hundreds of thousands of happy people, the energy. It's too similar."
The DJ Diesel gig certainly seems to be working out for Shaq even if it doesn't result in significant profits for the business mogul. It's helping him attain his goal of spreading joy and happiness among thousands of people, similar to his playing days.