"Leave Dave Chapelle, Corey Holcomb, and Aries Spears alone; that dude is a comedian" - Shaquille O'Neal sides with comedian Aries Spears after his insensitive comments on Lizzo spark controversy

Former LA Lakers and Miami Heat superstar Shaquille O'Neal made the airwaves this week after sticking up for his friend Aries Spears. This came after comments made by Spears about singer Lizzo that were not well received by the public.

O'Neal appeared on The Big Podcast and took a stand for Aries Spears after co-host Nischelle Turner accused the comedian of fat-shaming Lizzo. He chuckled at the notion and proceeded to say that the comments were being blown out of proportion.

"You sensitive people can’t pick and choose when you want to be sensitive. That’s all I have to say. Leave Dave Chapelle, Corey Holcomb, and Aries Spears alone; that dude is a comedian," Shaquille O'Neal said.

A couple of weeks ago, Hollywood comedian Aries Spears was asked about Lizzo's music. Spears responded to this by comparing her to an emoticon and describing her physique as a "plate of mashed potatoes."

Spears then proceeded to call out the "hypocrisy" in women. He said he believes that they harangue about "sisterhood" but won't call out the real issues that plague society like "diabetes, heart disease and cholesterol."

Diesel hasn't always been the one to take jokes in his stride. He is often portrayed as annoyed on the set of Inside the NBA when co-host Charles Barkley constantly pulls his leg. However, there have been times when O'Neal has made light of the situation and used comedy to diffuse any tension that might exist.

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Shaquille O'Neal's music career

Shaquille O'Neal at the F1 Grand Prix of USA

Shaquille O'Neal has always had interests outside the basketball court and has pursued many such endeavors in his life. Be it acting or making music, Shaq has always been a box office attraction.

The former Orlando Magic superstar began his music career back in 1993 when he started to compose rap music. His rapping skills were subject to immense criticism early on in his music career.

However, Shaq has released five albums and one compilation album, which essentially features all the previously unreleased tracks from different albums. 'Shaq Diesel', which was the name of his debut rap album, received platinum certification.

Along with his music, Shaquille O'Neal is also an ardent DJ who has been conducting shows all across the globe. He can often be seen at music festivals having a good time. With the name DJ Diesel, Shaq started DJing back in 1980s, long before his NBA career took off.

For his movie Kazaam, Shaquille O'Neal contributed three tracks to the film and has also featured in many music videos. One of his most popular appearances was with the great Michael Jackson on the album HIStory, where Shaq featured as a guest rapper in the song 2 Bad.

Shaq has also featured in the music video for the song "That's how I Beat Shaq" by Aaron Carter and also contributed to that hit single.