Jay-Z and Shaquille O’Neal’s History Through the Years

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Shaquille O’Neal teamed up with Jay-Z and Nas on his 1996 album No Love Lost, it took two decades for  the musical collaboration to be released.

Jay-Z (real name Shawn Carter) and Nas both recorded verses on O’Neal’s “No Love Lost.” The song came out in June 2024. During his “Drink Champs” appearance, the retired basketball star also concurred with the podcast hosts that Jay-Z is “The GOAT” in the rap industry.

“You know how it is with clearances and all that,” O’Neal explained during the October 2022 appearance. “People didn’t clear it. Look, I didn’t take it personal ‘cause again, me being in the studio with Nas, I’m happy. I get to call my boy and be like, ‘Hey, come over, Nas is over.’ I get to call my boy and say, ‘Hey, Jay in here.’ I got to call my boy and say, ‘Yo, Biggie at the house. We about to jump on the seat.’ That’s what it’s all about.”

He added, “I really focused on just going in there and having a good time with my favorite artists.”

“I saw Jay-Z at the Golden State [Warriors] game and we just started giggling because he’s still doing it, I’m still doing it,” O’Neal added. “I told him, ‘Man, much respect, you’re doing big things.’ He’s like, ‘Much respect for you.’ … I’m happy that we’re all still doing it.”

Two years later, Jay-Z was accused in a civil lawsuit of raping a 13-year-old girl alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2000. After the Roc Nation founder denied the claims, he was name-dropped on a December 2024 episode of Inside the NBA broadcast that O’Neal was speaking on. The NBA legend subsequently rose from his seat after broadcaster Kenny Smith mentioned Jay-Z, leading to interest in their friendship.

Keeping scrolling to revisit O’Neal and Jay-Z’s history through the years:

Duet Partners

 Before the musicians’ lengthy feud, O’Neal asked both Jay-Z and Nas to contribute bars to a song on his debut album.

“For me, getting in the studio with those guys, I made it,” O’Neal recalled on a 2012 episode of SiriusXM’s Sway in the Morning radio show. “It wasn’t about going platinum or selling albums. I heard Jay-Z say this one time and I’m gonna repeat what he said. For me, that was little money doing the album. It wasn’t about that.”

The song finally came out in June 2024.

As for Jay-Z and Nas, they buried the hatchet in the mid-2000s and have collaborated many times since then. They last duetted on DJ Khaled’s “Sorry Not Sorry” track, which came out in 2021.

Singing Praises

While the duet never saw the light of day for many years, O’Neal had no bad blood.

“Jay-Z has always been one of the dopest ever,” O’Neal told Vibe magazine in July 2013. “When he did a song off my album, took him five minutes. It was a rumor that he didn’t write nothing down and it was crazy. He came in there and he spit and he just left.”

He added, “Jay-Z, soft of, reminds me of myself. We’re the same age, but even though the trends keep changing, we change with the trends and we still dominate whatever the trend is.”

O’Neal further gushed that Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail release was “really smart.”

Design Inspiration

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Jay-Z signed a brand deal with Reebok in 2002, releasing a line of shoes and clothes. The Jay-Z x S. Carter “White Green Red” pair of sneakers was even inspired by O’Neal and fellow retired NBA star Allen Iverson.

“These were dope. In 2003, I wore these all summer,” Iverson recalled to Complex in March 2024. “I just thought it was cool to see Jay’s name them on.”

Social Media Shout-Out

In January 2024, O’Neal revealed via Instagram that he got a blinged-out Superman emblem chain.

“‘DON’T COMPARE ME TO NOBODY, I rather not BE MENTIONED. I’M Offended,’” he captioned his upload. “Quote from one of my favorite people: JAY-Z.”

Subtle Solidarity

In December 2024, O’Neal appeared on Inside the NBA, where he and his fellow panelists questioned whether they could each beat Stephen A. Smith in a pickup basketball game.

“Listen, man, do you think Jay-Z or,” Kenny Smith began, trailing off.

Charles Barkley interrupted, stating it “probably [wasn’t] a good time” to bring up the rapper.

O’Neal, for his part, got up from his seat and walked off the set, going to hide behind a pillar.

Jay-Z was accused of rape several days earlier. He vehemently denied the “heinous” allegations and filed to dismiss the court case.