Shaquille O'Neal fans don't have to wait any longer to stream one of his timeless rap cuts.
Earlier this week, Andrew Barber of Chicago hip-hop outlet Fake Shore Drive teased on X that "You Can't Stop the Reign," Shaq's 1996 collaboration with The Notorious B.I.G., would be coming to streaming services. Shaq Diesel later confirmed the news himself and as of Friday (June 14) the song is officially available on streaming platforms.
The song, which prominently samples the 1985 single "You Can't Stop the Rain" from British soul trio Loose Ends, was Shaq and Biggie's only collaboration, as the latter was murdered the following year. Before "You Can't Stop the Reign" was recorded, Biggie shouted out his future collaborator on "Gimme the Loot" from his 1994 debut album, Ready to Die.
On an episode of Drink Champs last year, Shaq, also the only NBA player-turned-rapper to go platinum, revealed that he asked Biggie to redo his original "Reign" verse, as the first was too explicit.
"The first verse— and I’m the only one that got it, I will never play it—he went off," Shaq said. “And I damn near had a tear in my eye because I had to press that button. I was like, ‘Uh, Big.’ He said, ‘Yeah, yeah for the kids, for the kids. My bad, Diesel and then he did the verse you heard.'"
