Shaquille O’Neal has big plans for his budding DJ career.
After a 20-year musical hiatus, Shaq, a.k.a. DJ Diesel, released a new song, “Bang,” in collaboration with DJ Nghtmre and Lil Jon in February, and the pro baller has no plans of slowing down.
“Most people don’t know it, but my [first] rap album, ‘Shaq Diesel,’ actually went platinum,” Shaq, 47, told Page Six. “Man, that was a long time ago, and my sound has changed a lot since then.”
The former athlete, who began deejaying at major clubs across the US in 2015, explained that he has made a shift to “bass and trap” music.
“I have been spending a lot more time in the studio and just love to mess around making music,” he told us. “I am still learning a lot, but it’s always a good time.”
For the NBA superstar, hopping into the DJ booth gives him the same feeling he used to get on the basketball court.
“Deejaying brings me back to my playing days,” he said. “When I am up on stage in front of 100,000 people at a festival, it’s game 7. The energy is just wild and I get competitive. I need to throw down the best set possible.”
While the star’s music career is just beginning to take off again, Shaq already has high hopes for future collaborations.
“I really look up to Diplo and Skrillex,” he said. “I’m working on some music with Diplo at the moment and would love to get in the studio with him and Skrillex soon.”
In the meantime, Shaq is gearing up to host his third-ever carnival-themed music festival, Shaq’s Fun House, which is taking place in Miami on March 29 during Ultra Music Festival. He previously hosted the same event in Atlanta last month for Super Bowl 53 and in Miami last year.
“This year’s lineup in Miami is totally a surprise,” he told us. “I recruited some of the best DJs in the world straight from Ultra Music Festival to play at the Fun House.”
As for expected VIP attendees, Shaq told us, “[Rob Gronkowski] had a good excuse to miss the last Fun House at [the] Super Bowl, but I have a feeling we will see him with all his friends in Miami.”
The lineup is sure to be impressive as his previous Fun House bashes included performances by Migos, Tiesto, Diplo, Lil Jon and T-Pain, as well as appearances by Jamie Foxx, Adam Levine, Akon, Broncos star Von Miller and designer Alexander Wang.
“I just love to spin records, man,” Shaq said. “There is nothing like it.”
Tickets for Shaq’s Fun House in Miami will go on sale Thursday, March 7, at 12 p.m.