We all know about that old saying, “Do what you like, like what you do!” and it seems like that Shaquille O’Neal is going heavy. Just as he dominated the paint with thunderous dunks and secured four NBA championships, O’Neal has managed to conquer yet another arena – the world of music. While most athletes struggle to find their footing after retirement, the 7’1″ NBA legend has seamlessly transformed from dropping basketballs to dropping beats, commanding fees upwards of $200,000 per performance as DJ Diesel. But according to the Big Aristotle himself, the secret to his musical triumph isn’t found in his bank account but it’s written all over his infectious smile.

In the recent episode of Robert Mitz’s ‘Creativo‘ podcast, O’Neal revealed that his success in the music industry stems from a refreshingly simple philosophy that is: prioritizing fun over profit. “Just you know, growing up in the hip-hop culture, music just moves me. All types of music. Hispanic music, Afro beats, white guy classics, I just love music. So you know, it’s not that I had an entrepreneurial mindset, I had a fun mindset. I like to have fun. I’m the ambassador of having fun,” said O’Neal during the podcast.

It’s not the first time Shaq has dipped his heels into the music world. During the 1990s, his run on the NBA courts was an effective one, but he also took to rap music and released four studio albums. When he released his debut album in 1993, “Shaq Diesel,” his platinum release featured hip hop heavy hitters Fu Schnickens and other talented artists like Def Jef and Phife Dawg as guest appearances. The next follow-up albums “Shaq Fu Da Return” (1994), “You Can’t Stop the Reign” (1996), and “Respect” (1998) made it clear that he was more than a novelty act in his own right as a music artist.

Fast forward to the present day and O’Neal’s evolution of his music took him to EDM. He has become DJ Diesel and a festival circuit favorite playing at Tomorrowland, Lollapalooza, and Electric Forest. One of the few ‘basketball’ players to dwarf his attendance for his basketball games more than the number of crowds he draws for his high-energy sets of trap, dubstep, and bass music. The seven-footer has, since his debut in EDM in 2015, collaborated with many famous electronic artists, notably Steve Aoki, Diplo, DJ Carnage, Von Miller, etc.

Like his basketball career, the NBA Hall of Famer’s success in music is one central aspect: his presence with fans. Like he did on the court where he won fans over with his playful personality, DJ Diesel’s performances are genuine, unbridled and have plenty of genuine interaction. However, even after garnering so many fans through his music, the seven-footer once expressed his regret in his music career.

Shaquille O’Neal’s regret in his music career

The Los Angeles Lakers legend and business mogul with a net worth estimated at over $500 million, has achieved immense success in various fields. However, one area where his ambition has faced challenges is his music career.

Despite his financial success, O’Neal admits to harboring a deep sense of regret over his musical pursuits. In 2023, his first EDM album Gorilla Warfare came out through the record label Monstercat: Uncaged. However, Shaq wasn’t totally satisfied with his album, and also with his whole music career as he didn’t feel the same kick while listening to his songs the way that he did while listening to them first. “I’ve did a 100 songs but I don’t have one that when you still play it 20 years later, it still hard like that like that,” said Shaq during the podcast.

Even though Shaq has shown his regret over his music career, his fans still love his music. The Gorilla Warfare album has 10 songs in total with the track ‘Bang your head’ getting the most number of streams with 6 million+ on Spotify. Not only this, but his debut rap album ‘Shaq Diesel’ also sold over a million copies. Now only time will tell how much growth the former NBA player will see in the music scene.