Hot Take: Shaquille O'Neal was actually a good rapper

Hey everyone, I'm serious with my take. I don't mean Shaq is “good for an athlete, nor do I think he is a “funny novelty.” Shaq is actually good.

I think Hip-Hop heads and NBA fans need to go back and listen to Shaq Diesel. It went platinum. That’s not just name recognition, that’s real sales in the early 90s hip-hop landscape. The production was legit (Erick Sermon, Def Jef, etc.), and the lead singles “I’m Outstanding” and "What's Up Doc?" weren't just joke tracks. Those singles were as structured, confident, and very much in line with early 90s East Coast rap energy.

In my opinion, Shaq wasn’t parodying hip-hop, he was participating in it in a way that actually fit the era.

Curious where both the hoops heads and the music heads land on this. Thoughts?