Shaq Says Biggie Re-Recorded His Verse On Their Collab Because It Was Too Dirty

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Shaq performs at Bud Light House of Whatever, which featured three days of parties, concerts and activities leading up to Super Bowl XLIX.
Shaq recalls recording "You Can't Stop The Reign" with Biggie.

Shaq's widely recognized for his time in the NBA but there was a point in time where he also pursued music. Throughout the 90's, Shaq released four studio albums and his debut went is certified platinum. In a recent interview with Ebro, he shared the story of the time Biggie had to re-record his verse on their collaboration because it was too explicit.

Shaq broke down the story behind his collaboration with Biggie on "You Can't Stop The Reign" on Ebro's Beats1 show. Shaq explained that while he was recording his 1996 album of the same name, he reached out to Diddy and Biggie and said that he's working on his album. After they agreed to do a song, Shaq said he recorded and re-recorded his verse several times out of fear that Biggie would think it's wack.

"I get the track, and I lay it—I don’t like it. I re-lay it and keep doing it because I don't want to do it in front of him, in case it’s wack… I called him down, and I played it for him. He was rocking with it." He said, "He went in there, and when I tell you he killed it in one take, I ain’t never seen nothing like that. But -- the first take -- and I’m the only one with a copy, and it'll never get released because I never do it to him… he went in. He was like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s right, my bad. It’s for the kids, for the kids.' And then he went in and did that verse."

Interestingly enough, the verse that Biggie recorded for "Can't Stop The Reign" was later reused for his Michael Jackson collaboration on "Unbreakable."

Peep the clip below. 


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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