Ice Cube Explained Why He Prevented Shaq from Releasing a Song Called ‘That’s Gangsta’ with Dr. Dre

Shaquille O’Neal, widely recognized as one of the greatest athletes to venture into rap, debuted with his 1993 platinum album, Shaq Diesel. Over his career, Shaq released four albums and collaborated with top hip-hop producers and artists in the 90s.

However, one notable collaboration recorded during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers never saw the light of day. On a recent episode of The Big Podcast, Shaq and guest Ice Cube discussed a project Cube was executive producing for Shaq. Cube arranged for Shaq to work with Dr. Dre, resulting in a track called “That’s Gangsta,” which Shaq believed was “nice.” Ice Cube, however, decided it should never be released.

“Cube was executive producing one of my records,” Shaq recalled. “And he put me in the studio with Dr. Dre. I did a song called ‘That’s Gangsta’. Cube heard it and was like, ‘Nope. We’re not releasing this.’ … He was like, ‘Shaq, you’re a fcking Laker, bro. I don’t want you talking about nothing gangsta. We not doing none of that sht.’ And it never came out.”

Although host Adam Lefkoe speculated that the song might not have been good, Ice Cube clarified that his decision was about protecting Shaq’s image. Cube explained that Shaq, a star player for the Lakers, did not need to present himself as “gangsta” in Los Angeles since he already had broad appeal and a positive image.

“It was good. Shaq is a dоpe MC, but I just felt the record was off-brand for him,” Cube said. “Because, to me, he’s more than just gangsta. He’s loved by milliоns, loved by kids. He already established that. And why go backwards when you’re already forward?”

Shaq expressed his gratitude for Cube’s decision, highlighting the respect Ice Cube had for him by considering his overall career and marketability. In a world where players don’t always have someone to think of the bigger picture and tell them no, Shaq had that guidance from a music legend like Ice Cube.