Shaquille O’Neal, the legendary NBA player, will be releasing a previously unheard collaboration between JAY-Z and Nas on streaming platforms.
An unmastered song titled “No Love Lost,” featuring the two rap icons along with Shaq and Lord Tariq, surfaced online more than 20 years ago. However, because of the intense rivalry between Hov and Nas at the time, fans weren’t sure if the collaboration was genuine.
The real song, which marked Nas and JAY-Z’s first-ever collaboration, will now be available for listeners to hear when Shaq’s third album You Can’t Stop the Reign is initially made available on streaming services this Friday, June 28.
Nas was not featured on the version of the song that was included on the original album. The Notorious B.I.G. was originally intended to appear in the song.
Shaq discussed how the song didn’t work out as planned when he appeared on Drink Champs in 2022.
“I didn’t take it personally, but people didn’t clear it,” he remarked. “I’m glad to be in the studio with Nas. I get to say, “Come over, Nas here,” when I call my boy. I get to say, “Jay in here,” when I call my child. “Hey, Biggie at the house, he ’bout to jump in the seat,” is what I get to tell my lads when I call them. That is the main focus.
“And not to disrespect you guys, but there wasn’t enough money in that for me,” he continued. I think I went platinum. When they presented me with the check, I thought, “This is some bullshit.”
The rapper’s time in the studio with Biggie just before his murder was disclosed by the former NBA MVP.
“Okay, big dog, that’s tight, that’s tight,” he says. “Okay, he likes it,” I then remarked. He said in the same interview, “I’m going to let him and Lil Cease do their thing.”
“Here you go, Big. This is the pen and pad. Press this button now; I’ll be inside the house. He responds, “No, I’m ready now.” “What do you mean ready right now?” I asked. He then enters the room and kills it while grinning.
Shaq went on, “And I’m the only one who knows the first verse, and I’ll never play it. When he went off, I almost shed a tear because I had to hit the button and thought, “Um, big.”
“Yeah, yeah, for the kids, for the kids,” is how he responds to that. Diesel, I apologize. He then performed the song’s stanza. I understand, but I’m not going to use it.
