Fact number two? Shaq has a ridiculous amount of time on his hands. Dude's making something like $30 million a year and only really works for his money from training camp in October to whenever he gets bumped from the playoffs. He's starred in multiple movies, serves as a reserve police officer, appeared in a ton of video games, and he's getting his own reality show that's going to start airing in August. And this is all ignoring the most pertinent out-of-career hobby that Shaq rolls with: dude raps. He raps a lot. So. Fact number three, and a surprise to no one? He's not a rap prodigy. But he's also not very bad, and certainly not unlistenable. That leads us to the final fact.
Shaq's first album is pretty good.
I don't mean that ironically, either. Shaq is a rich guy who has the money to hire a very good producer. He had the clout to get a lot of quality guest stars to chill with. And even if Shaq isn't the greatest rapper in the universe, the guy certainly has a talent for making absurd little songs. These aren't exactly the most brilliant lyrics ever, but I'll be damned if Giggin' On Ya doesn't make me grin every time it comes on. I don't feel like writing a big thing about why his lyrics are funny, especially when this lady's attempt would clearly outstrip any of my efforts.
Really, though, Shaq is an eccentric badass. And he happens to be an OK rapper. He isn't something I'd go to far out of my way to hear, but Shaq Diesel is a good album. It's fun, the production is tight, and hearing the Shaqnificent invent new words is pretty much awesome. It's a fun album that's worth a listen, and don't go into it expecting it's going to be horrible. It's solid, entertaining stuff that can be pretty easily enjoyed by anyone who likes their rap with a good dollop of self-aware absurdity. Because, yes, while it is entertaining in a non-ironic way, hearing Shaq rap about his favorite sandwich ("submarines") and tell the viewer his location about 20 times in a row ("right over here") definitely does add a level of surreal enjoyment to an already pretty enjoyable album.
So why haven't you listened to it yet?
