The Saga of Shaq: DJ Diesel On Why He’s Among The Few to Thrive In Both Sports and Music

As a four-time NBA champion and three-time MVP, Shaquille O’Neal thrives in high stakes environments. Though the NBA Hall of Famer traded the court for the stage, rebranding himself as DJ Diesel in the process, O’Neal’s “go big or go home” attitude is as vigorous as ever.

Over the last handful of years, Shaq’s Fun House has rightfully earned a reputation as a “must-see” event during Super Bowl Weekend. The very concept of bringing a full-size carnival and music festival experience to fruition for one night only would appear a daunting task for almost anyone, but it goes to show that when you start your day with some energizing drum & bass music, anything’s possible.

This year’s edition of Shaq’s Fun House is ambitious as ever, featuring performances by Zedd, Diplo, and Diesel himself, among others. The electrifying atmosphere at Fun House is sure to amplify the energy throughout the city of Los Angeles as music and sports fans eagerly unite in anticipation of the biggest competitive matchup of the year.

Ahead of the festivities, Diesel caught up with EDM.com to give us a preview of what to expect at Shaq’s Fun House, what it’s like having two DJs in the O’Neal household, and much more.

Tickets to Shaq’s Fun House, which will take place February 11th, are on sale now. The event will also be livestreamed on YouTube’s homepage, according to a press release issued by video-sharing platform Lomotif.

EDM.com: Your Fun House events have become a beloved Super Bowl tradition in recent years. What is it about this experience that people can’t get anywhere else out of SB weekend?

DJ Diesel: It’s a known fact that the Super Bowl is the biggest sports and entertainment weekend in the world. There is an energy that radiates across the entire city that I personally haven’t experienced since the 2001 L.A. Lakers parade.

That is especially true this year. On top of that, the Big Game weekend offers so many incredible events for fans to attend but everyone knows the #1 above all is Shaq’s Fun House—’cause it’s not just a party.

EDM.com: What makes this years Shaq’s Fun House so special?

DJ Diesel: Everyone knows that I am the Emperor of L.A. Los Angeles is a city that has shown nothing but love, so when Shaq’s Fun House comes to L.A. we are going big. 

We’ve got performances from Lil Wayne, Zedd and Diplo. A six-hour premium open bar with free food from Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles, KazuNori [VIP Only], Pink’s Hot Dogs, Diddy Riese, Papa Johns and Daring Foods. On top of that, we have a full state, fair-sized carnival with a 75-foot FTX Ferris Wheel. For those ballers we got the Wynn flying in from Las Vegas to run VIP. Do not miss this, L.A…

EDM.com: Your son Myles has been building out his own career and is on the lineup as well. Has DJ-ing become a competitive sport in the O’Neal household or do you two share music and techniques?

DJ Diesel: Everything is a competition in the O’Neal household. We’re born winners. Since a young age Myles was always the one to branch off from the athletic route and focus on fashion and music. He’s a born entertainer. I see him grinding on FaceTime and when he opened up for me at LSU. Definitely proud of Myles.

EDM.com: You’ve recently released some new collaborations including “Welcome To The Playhouse” alongside Steve Aoki. What else can fans hope to hear in Diesel’s set, and are there any new projects in the pipeline you can share with us?

DJ Diesel: Diesel sets are a riot. I always tell fans to come for a journey that they’ll never forget. We’re going to head-bang, sing, laugh, cry and most importantly all be together.

Steve has always been an innovator so it was only a matter of time until we united in the studio. He’s definitely one of my favorite artists and its crazy to be working with him now. Should we do more together?

EDM.com: There are many star athletes who want to be musicians and many star musicians who want to be athletes. You’re among a very select few to build an illustrious career in both fields. What do you think the secret to your successful pivot has been?

DJ Diesel: Athletes who want to be musicians don’t understand that you can’t just use your platform to become successful. If the art you put out is wack, people will politely—or rudely—say, ‘No thank you.’

For me, I realized that from the jump. I put myself in the studio with Redman, Erik Ermon, Al Skratch, Def Jef, and other legendary musicians and told them to teach me. It’s all about positioning yourself around the right people.

EDM.com: You recently suggested “try starting your day off with a little DnB,” and we couldn’t agree more. What does Shaq’s morning drum & bass playlist look like?

DJ Diesel: No playlist yet, but Skrillex and Nero’s “Holdin’ On” remix is one fire track. “Your Love” by Friction and Kanine as well. Oh, also “Follow Me” by ShockOne.

EDM.com Last year you made your promo email public and accessible so that both rising and established producers alike could pitch you new music. Given the volume of music we can only imagine you’ve received since then, how do you feel today about that decision?

DJ Diesel: One of the best decisions Diesel has ever made. That inbox is flooded with so many underground producers making fire music that the world needs to hear. I have a few guys on my team sorting through it so I can promise you everything will get heard. When I am on the plane going city to city I love to pull out the laptop and give it a listen myself.

EDM.com Who’s going to win it all in Super Bowl LVI?

DJ Diesel: Not my Cowboys that’s for sure… but if anyone is going to do it is my fellow LSU alumni Joe Burrow.

FOLLOW DJ DIESEL:

Facebook: facebook.com/shaq
Twitter: twitter.com/djdiesel
Instagram: instagram.com/djdiesel
Spotify: spoti.fi/3zoP9WO

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