Shaquille O’Neal explained how he ended up on the remix of Rick Ross and Meek Mill’s “Shaq & Kobe” song in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Shaq revealed he wasn’t aware of the duo’s plans to make it a collaboration with his friendly rival Dame Lillard.
“Rick sent it to me first, so I didn’t even have his permission,” Shaq said. “So, I just looped it and I went in and I was like, ‘I hope you like it.’ And I sent it to him. He said, ‘Man, you did that fast.’ So, then he hit me back, ‘Can I use it?’ And I was like, ‘Sure.’ And then he got really too professional on me — he started sending paperwork. I said, ‘Bro, you don’t need to. I don’t want no money.’ I’m like, ‘Rick, I don’t want nothing, bro.’ I’m just thankful for the opportunity to be on the song. And then when I heard Dame on it, I was like, ‘Mother effer, mother effer.’”
Shaq and Dame famously traded diss tracks years ago as they battled for the title of best rapper/athlete. Shaq told THR he still viewed Dame as his competition.
“In the rap game, I take it personal when they say somebody else is better than me and [you know] the name I’m talking about,” Shaq said. “So listen, I love him, good friend of mine, but I have to make sure they say, ‘Shaq is the best rapper/athlete ever.’ Ain’t no ‘Shaq and…’ Look, it’s just all fun. I don’t want to be a rapper. I tried it and the money, it was cool, but I was making more money doing other things. It’s just to drop something, go viral, read the comments.”
The Hall of Famer continued, “And then I’m the type that when I get criticized, I don’t get sensitive, it just motivates me. So, you can say whatever you want to say about me — you can’t hurt my feelings. I’ll see something [like] ‘but Dame is better.’ Oh, he is? I just start writing again. So, I got about 10 that I’m just lining up. I even shot videos, too.”
Listen to Shaq and Dame spit bars with Rozay and Meek below.