Rare Photo Shows 7 ft Shaquille O’Neal Dwarfing 1995’s Top Rapper Who Challenged 2pac’s Dominance

Shaquille O’Neal, the Los Angeles Lakers legend, played his fair share of basketball in the NBA. With his huge stature of 7 ft 1 in, Shaq dominated the court. His career in the NBA spanned 19 years, playing for six teams, and winning four championship rings with two of them.

Back in 1997, MTV produced a TV show annually, called ‘MTV Rock N’ Jock’, which included professional athletes playing their sport with celebrities and musicians, and TV personalities. O’Neal was in his first year of the Lakers and attended the event with the popular singer of ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’.

When Shaquille O’Neal met Coolio

The Los Angeles Lakers legend attended MTV Rock N’ Jock B-Ball in 1997 as a coach for celebrity teams, with the opposing coach being another basketball legend Bill Walton. The teams from both sides involved a lot of musicians, WNBA players as well as tv personalities.

Gary Payton, Bill Bellamy, Dean Cain, Sheryl Swoopes, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and Coolio. Just to name a few. 

A picture of Shaquille O’Neal and the late rapper Coolio clicked in 1997, resurfaced recently. The Lakers no. 34 went on to become one of the most dominant players in NBA history, and Coolio was the artist of one of the most iconic tracks in hip hop, ‘Gangsta’s Paradise ’. 

Coolio released the song back in 1995, an instant hit that spent 3 weeks at the no. 1 spot in the Billboard top 100. It was one of the very first ‘serious songs’ to top the US and UK charts. Some considered this as the path for rappers like 2pac and Notorious B.I.G to be considered mainstream. 

Coolio and 2pac were at their peak in the mid-90s before the latter’s death in 1996. Both competed for the ‘best solo rap performance’ category at the 38th Grammy Awards in 1996 with Coolio taking home the trophy for ‘Gangsta’s Paradise ’.

READ MORE: Shaq remembers Charles Barkley’s antics during their playing career

The legendary rapper passed away on the 28th of September 2022 at the age of 59.

Shaq’s rap career

O’Neal started his NBA career in 1992, and his rap career in 1993. The Lakers no. 34 had no ordinary music career, as his debut album sold over a million copies. Making it labeled as a ‘platinum’ album.

Watch this story: Shaq’s bizarre pre-game ritual during his early Magic days

The basketball legend had 4 studio albums in his whole career. He even collaborated with one of the biggest names in the industry, Notorious B.I.G.