Summer season is in full swing. The NBA Summer League is going strong, and our man Shaq is doing what he often does in the off-season – taking his musical show on the road. Most recent stop: The huge – HUGE – gathering called the Calgary Stampede.
Just last weekend (as of this posting date), DJ Diesel put in a powerful 45-minute set of electronic dance music, hip-hop and more at the musical venue the Big Four Roadhouse.
Shaq told a local reporter in the Canadian city that he thinks about taking the stage for a show like this in much the same way as he would, walking down the tunnel heading for the floor for an important NBA game. “I do this for fun, I lose money every show, but this hour is similar to the hour and a half I would have playing four quarters, so that’s why I do it,” he said.
This latest appearance marked Shaq’s second visit to Calgary. As regular readers of the ShaqFu Radio blog know, the big man has been in the music business for every bit as long as he’s played hoops. He tells the story of how he started spinning records when he was all of 14 years old. In 1993 he had a gold record with his rap album “Shaq Diesel,” which climbed as high as number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.
On the same day as the show in Calgary, Shaq / DJ Diesel released a new song called Heat. Now he’s apparently thinking of doing more with his music, telling reporters he’s looking for up-and-coming musicians to share the spotlight with.
Shaq: “For all the young artists out there who don’t get noticed, if you want to get noticed, send me your music and I’ll play it for you. I play a lot of underground artists.”
Shaq’s been north of the border plenty of times, especially in his playing days. He’s feeling the same energy: “I get the same reaction that I got when I played against the Toronto Raptors or the Vancouver Grizzles, I had people jumping up and having a good time,” he said.
At the show with DJ Diesel was a popular local DJ named 4Korners. He’s been the official house DJ for the Toronto Raptors since 2005. He’s seen Shaq’s musical career grow over the years. “Shaq was a one of a kind basketball player, he’s an incredible human being and as a DJ he definitely turns up any crowd,” said 4Korners
Along with Shaq, this years Stampede lineup included some A-list acts on various stages. Pitbull, Big Boi, Lil Yachty and Russ were all there. Nice!
What’s next for the big man? DJ Diesel is scheduled to play at his own Bass Festival in Texas…that’s in September. Diesel’s “Summer of Bass” performances in Belgium, Germany and Croatia have him fully booked and busy. See you on the road!
