After Rejecting Ice Cube's $3,200,000 League at 44, Shaquille O'Neal 'Mocks' Rapper With a Hilarious 'Straight Outta Compton' Rendition

Shaquille O’Neal and Ice Cube


Credit: USA TODAY Sports

Hip-Hop legend and former N.W.A. member Ice Cube founded the BIG3 in 2017, an alternative 3-on-3 basketball league with 12 teams featuring former NBA players and international players. Recently, Ice Cube accused the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver of deliberately jeopardizing BIG3’s growth and exposure. When Ice Cube sought former players for his new $3,200,000 league, he approached the then-42-year-old Shaquille O’Neal, considering him an exciting addition to the inaugural season. However, Shaq rejected Ice Cube’s proposal. Ice Cube continues his tirade against the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver on social media. In response, Shaq humorously mocked the Compton star by doing a hilarious rendition of his song, ‘Straight Outta Compton.’

It’s not that Shaq and Ice Cube are any strangers to each other. In 1997, Shaquille O’Neal and Ice Cube collaborated on a song called ‘Man of Steel,’ featuring B-Real, Peter Gunz, and KRS-One. Despite being collaborators, Shaq trolling Ice Cube on Instagram will never fail not to be funny.

Shaquille O’Neal hilariously trolls Ice Cube with a funny rendition of his classic song

In a hilarious Instagram video, Shaquille O’Neal appeared lip-syncing to the song “Straight Outta Compton” by N.W.A., featuring Ice Cube. The twist was that Shaq sang a country version, making it quite amusing.

The N.W.A.’s song “Straight Outta Compton” was part of their debut album released in 1988. The group, based in Compton, California, included hip-hop legends like Ice Cube, Eazy-E, MC Ren, Dr. Dre, and DJ Yella. It aimed to depict the gangster lifestyle of Black youth in California and shed light on the violence faced from discriminatory authorities.

Additionally, the song played a crucial role in shaping hardcore hip-hop and West Coast rap, becoming a foundational pillar of today’s hip-hop genre. The humor arose from its unexpected country version, which Shaq humorously tagged Ice Cube in, calling it a country twist on the rapper’s debut masterpiece. In his caption, Shaq wrote:

“straight outta compton country version @icecube.”

Shaq may not have intended to criticize Ice Cube, who apparently harbors resentment towards the NBA. On Joe Rogan’s Podcast, Ice Cube expressed concerns about Adam Silver, accusing him of hindering the growth of his 3-on-3 league. He blames the media and Commissioner Silver for not providing adequate exposure to the league, though it does not aim to replace or harm the NBA.

O’Neal and Ice Cube are close friends who have collaborated on a song together

Shaq is famous for more than just basketball; he’s involved in various side hustles. One of his interests is rap, and he’s actually quite good at it. During the peak of his career, Shaq collaborated with Ice Cube, B-Real, Peter Gunz, and KRS-One on the song ‘Man of Steel’ in 1997. Additionally, the movie Steel featured this track.

Furthermore, Ice Cube doesn’t mind the playful teasing from his friend Shaq, as they share a close friendship and often praise each other in public appearances.