Shaquille O’Neal has opened up about a song featuring himself, JAY-Z, Nas and the late Notorious B.I.G. that never saw the light of day.
The Big Diesel made the revelation during his appearance on Drink Champs when N.O.R.E. asked him about the decades-old track.
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According to the four-time NBA champion, the original song featuring all three New York rap titans was never released due to clearance and publishing issues. The song was titled “No Love Lost” and featured the four aforementioned names and Lord Tariq.
“People didn’t clear it, but I didn’t take it personal,” Shaq said. “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.”
Shaq added: “And not to disrespect you guys, it wasn’t enough money in that for me. I went platinum right, and they showed me the check, and I was like, this some bullshit.”
Shaq explains why his JAY-Z, Nas & Biggie collab never came outhttps://t.co/FoC4kydEIQ
Via: @Drinkchampspic.twitter.com/EIuBErM2rw
— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) October 13, 2022
The version that landed on Shaq’s third studio album, You Can’t Stop The Reign, doesn’t feature Nas. The project also features “You Can’t Stop The Reign” featuring Biggie, which also has a story behind it.
Shaq spoke on the story behind the original version which features an unreleased verse from Biggie that only the former NBA player has. According to Shaq, he had to leave the verse off because of his demographic.
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“So when I finally got the word that Big was going to do it I did a verse but I didn’t like it,” Shaq told Drink Champs. “My thing is this is Big coming in. One, I gotta impress Big ’cause if Big say, ‘No, this is terrible,’ I’m done. I won’t get a second shot.”
He continued: “So I did it, let my boys hear it, he ain’t bop his head but I didn’t care. I let my other boy hear it, he didn’t like it; I let my other boy hear it and he said that one is tight. So Big flew down, him and Lil Cease, so I’m nervous.
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Shaq explained that Biggie wanted to hear the track, and once he cued the record, the rapper began to nod his head, giving the signal that Shaq caught his attention.
“He’s like, ‘Ok big dog, that’s tight, that’s tight.’ And then I said, ‘Ok, he likes it.’ I’m going to let him and Lil Cease do their thing. I said, ‘Here you go Big, here’s the pad and pen. Hit this button right here, I’m going to be in the house,’ and he’s like, ‘No, I’m ready now,’ and I said, ‘What you mean ready right now,’ and he starts smiling, and he went in there, and he killed it.”
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He continued: “And the first verse, I’m the only one that got it, and I’ll never play it. He went off, and I damn near had a tear in my eye ’cause I had to press that button and I’m like, ‘Umm Big,’ and he’s like, ‘Yeah, yeah, for the kids, for the kids. My bad, Diesel,’ and then he did the verse in the song. I got it, but I’m not going to play it.”
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