A lot of athletes have tried and failed to become musical artists over the years, but rapper Rick Ross has a high opinion of one very public figure: NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal.
In a recent interview with People, the Miami-based artist talked about his collaboration with the former Los Angeles Lakers star on his "Too Good To Be True" collaboration with Meek Mill. According to People, Ross came away from the project with an important takeaway about O'Neal's ability: "This really an artist."
"The more familiar I got with him, you saw him collaborating with New York MCs and it just went on and on," Ross told People. "...So I respect his gift. So him getting on our joint, him respecting my talent, me putting that Maybach Music piece around his neck, man, that meant a lot. You know what I'm saying? That meant a lot to Rozay."
O'Neal appeared on a remix of the song "SHAQ & KOBE." The original version opened the album and had 9.3 million plays on Spotify as of December 4. The remix closed the album and featured Ross, Meek Mill, O'Neal and Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard, who rapped the second verse.
In his verse, which closed the remix, O'Neal made several clever references to both his riches and his basketball career. Many of the lines were packed with enough references to send fans down a number of rabbit holes.
"Foreign 'round, flyin' spurs like when I bullied Duncan," O'Neal rapped. "Did a song with Biggie, it was all a dream / So was ballin' 'til I made it / Now we own a team."
"Flyin' Spurs" pieces together both the Flying Spurs model of the luxury car brand Bentley, as well as O'Neal's long-time rival Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs. "It was all a dream," of course, references the smash hit "Juicy" by The Notorious B.I.G., who joined O'Neal for a guest spot on his 1996 song "You Still Can't Stop The Reign." "Now we own the team" is a bit of a stretch for O'Neal, who sold his stakes in the Sacramento Kings in 2022, but we can call it fair game for the sake of a boast in a rap song.
Perhaps O'Neal's hardest-hitting line in the "SHAQ & KOBE" remix, however, came toward the end of his verse when he rapped, "I'ma bring the drama till I'm with the Mamba." O'Neal's late teammate Kobe Bryant, nicknamed the Black Mamba, died in 2020. O'Neal and Bryant had a tumultuous relationship, and O'Neal later listed his relationship with Bryant as one of his major regrets. He spoke emotionally at Bryant's celebration of life.
As a thank-you for being on the record, Ross bought a custom chain for O'Neal featuring the logo for Ross' label Maybach Music Group. Ross told People that getting a chain for a 7-footer like O'Neal requires a little extra work.
"I told them, let's triple up on it. It ain't no budget," Ross told People. "This for the big homie, Shaq Diesel, Shaq Fu...I'm glad the homie enjoyed it. He kept texting me for the next few days."
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Rick Ross Lauds Shaquille O'Neals' Rap Skills: 'This Really An Artist' - Newsweek
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