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Shaq‘s rap career is in the distant past, but please don’t forget how big he really was.
For starters, he had several albums peak in the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200, certified platinum songs, and his debut album Shaq Diesel went certified platinum, selling more than 1.5 million units.
The heat continued, and now his third album, You Can’t Stop The Reign, is finally dropping on streaming platforms.
The 1996 project will be available on Friday, June 28. To make the release even more anticipated, the previously unheard version of “No Love Lost” featuring Jay-Z, Nas and Lord Tariq will be included.
This is technically the first-ever Jay-Z and Nas collaboration, which we can blame on their longstanding beef that started in the 1990s.
Shaq appears to have cut through much of the red tape he mentioned on Drink Champs regarding the record.
“I didn’t take it personal,” Shaq told N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN. “Me being in the studio with Nas, I’m happy. I get to call my boy and say, ‘Come over, Nas here.’ I get to call my boy and say, ‘JAY in here.’ I get to call my boys and say, ‘Yo, Biggie at the house, he ’bout to jump in the seat.’ That’s what it’s all about.”
Just two weeks ago, it was revealed that the title track of that album, featuring Biggie, would also be coming to streaming services. The song is the only collab between the two 90s stalwarts, but only came after B.I.G. named dropped him on Ready To Die’s “Gimme the Loot,” where he rapped, “I’m slammin’ n-ggas like Shaquille, shit is real.”
Shaq’s two tracks with two Brooklyn Legends, Jay-Z and Biggie, prove just how big of a cultural icon he’s been for more than 30 years.
Around the time of the album’s release, he was also fresh off a 1995 NBA Finals run in which he defeated the Michael Jordan-less Bulls and Reggie Miller’s Indiana Pacers. He went on to sign a weighty $120 million, seven-year contract with the Lakers.
His music career slowed down a bit, with Respect coming in 1998, before going the EDM root with Gorilla Warfare thanks to his duties as DJ Diesel.
Still, fans are excited to see the track hit their favorite platforms. See the reactions below.
Shaq’s 1996 Album With Unreleased Nas & Jay-Z Collab Is Finally Hitting Streaming Service was originally published on cassiuslife.com
