Nothing is more heartwarming than when rappers put the feud aside to collaborate. The start of the NBA season is already making that happen. Shaquille O’Neal is doing his biggest rap collaboration to date. And it’s none other than with the hottest athlete-rapper currently, Damian Lillard.

DJ Diesel stirred the pot when he named himself the god of all athlete-rappers. Perhaps Dame has an answer to that. But first, they pay tribute to one of the GOATs.

Shaquille O’Neal and Damian Lillard join hands on TNT

While we were expecting a rap battle, Shaquille O’Neal made it into a rap collab. Inside the NBA covered the Bucks vs 76ers game today. And when new Milwaukee pro, Damian Lillard joined the Inside Guys, he performed the collaboration of a lifetime with O’Neal. The duo set their debate on who’s the best athlete-rapper aside to pay tribute to Kobe Bryant on TNT.

DJ Diesel and Dame Dolla have remixed Meek Mill and Rick Ross’ new track, “Shaq & Kobe” that released in September 2023. “Shaq & Kobe” remix by Rick Ross & Meek Mill featuring Shaq & Dame Dolla was officially released after the Milwaukee Bucks game. TNT served the stage for the curtain-raiser of this collab of a lifetime.

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The motivation from this tribute is probably what helped Lillard edge the Philadelphia 76ers out in a 118-117 victory. He was not left wheezing when he got a tribute to pay to the Black Mamba. If fans would recall, Dame has paid tribute to the late Bryant in another track he composed. 

The initial announcement came from original artist, Rick Ross, and the podcaster, Riki P. “Shaq & Kobe remix featuring Shaq & Damian Lillard world premieres tonight on NBA on TNT,” the latter posted.

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Meek Mill reunited with Rick Ross to release “Shaq & Kobe” a month before the 2023-24 regular season. It’s the first release of their joint album releasing on November 10. The hip-hop moguls turned the combined legacy of the Lakers’ greatest duo into lyrics. O’Neal was among the first to react to the song and he was clearly blown away.

After hyping the music video, it appears that Shaq couldn’t resist getting in on the action himself. He called upon the best NBA star to elevate the new version. This comes despite their recent history.

Shaquille O’Neal buries the hatchet with Dame Lillard

Several NBA athletes have branched out into parallel rap careers. Damian Lillard, as Dame Dolla, set himself apart with a superior talent with his bars. But Shaq would say he walked so Dame Dolla could run! He crowned himself the OG of athlete-rappers mere days before the NBA season began.

Fans would debate his claims online. But it was all in vain. The original and the frontrunner formed a unit that we didn’t know we needed. This is the icing on top of a 39-point cake marking Dame’s Bucks debut.

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Apart from celebrating the release of their joint track, DJ Diesel also welcomed Rick Ross to the TNT studio. The artists’ enthusiasm in this tribute track is palpable. Have you given Shaq and Dame Dolla’s song a listen yet?