It’s the return of the Shaq!
Shaquille O’Neal’s first rap release since the ’90s has arrived, and it’s a collaboration with emerging hip-hop artist Blackway called “King Talk.”
Produced by Koko, the song features a full verse from O’Neal. “Bow down and kiss the ring,” he says on the track.
O’Neal says in a statement shared with PEOPLE that he and Koko had been “sending beats back and forth for a minute now,” and after he heard “King Talk” for the first time, “I knew I had to jump on it,” he says.
“I’ve been waiting for the perfect moment for a collab with Blackway and this was it. This is the type of record that gets me hyped like I’m walking out for Game 7 of the finals,” says O’Neal.
O’Neal first teased the song on Feb. 7 on his Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, in an animated video to celebrate James’ scoring record.
The Lakers legend says the lyrics and “vibe” of the song were “so perfect for the moment when LeBron James set the NBA scoring record,” and O’Neal “had to share it with the world,” he says.
“A king recognizes a king,” O’Neal adds.
“It was crazy to see so many people connect with the song when they heard the teaser, just like I did when we created it,” he says.
Blackwa is a Ghanaian-American afrobeat and hip-hop artist who caught O’Neal’s attention before they began working together. In 2018, his song “What’s Up Danger” with Black Caviar was used in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.
Blackway is currently working on his own EP release, and released his latest solo single “Lion” on March 10.
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