Shaq’s son Shaqir O'Neal posts emotional message after America DJ Irving “Irv Gotti” Lorenzo’s death

Shaqir O'Neal is one of many people mourning hip-hop legend Irv Gotti. The DJ, producer, and record label founder died on Wednesday. According to Billboard, Gotti died after suffering a stroke. He was 54 years old.

O'Neal posted a picture of a young Gotti on his Instagram stories. He captioned it:

"Rest in Paradise unc 🤞🏿 ♥️."

O'Neal followed the post with an old picture of Gotti and some friends riding in a classic car. The music community will miss the multiplatinum hip-hop maestro.

"Rest in Paradise unc 🤞🏿 ♥️"

Gotti and some friends

Shaqir O'Neal's dad, Shaq, had a successful rap career

Rap runs in the O'Neal family as Shaqir O'Neal's famous father, Shaquille O'Neal, enjoyed an impressive rap career. Shaq combined rapping and balling in the NBA during his early professional basketball career.

Shaq released his first studio album, "Shaq Diesel," in 1993. He was fresh off a Rookie of the Year Award and a starting spot in the 1993 NBA All-Star Game. The album was a success, sending multiple songs to the Billboard Top 100, and it was certified platinum in 1994.

Shaq released three more albums: "Shaq Fu: Da Return," "You Can't Stop the Reign" and "Respect." His albums did decently on the charts, even though he fared significantly better on the court.

Shaq remains active on the music scene. When he's not analyzing basketball games, he's into deejaying. He's also ready for the odd rap beef when the opportunity is presented. For instance, the Basketball Hall of Famer got into a brief beef with Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe in 2024.

The beef started after Sharpe criticized O'Neal for his comments about being unhappy about only being awarded MVP once in his playing days. Shaq took exception to Sharpe's comments and proceeded to record a diss track and put it on wax. O'Neal was scathing in the track, reminding the rest of the industry that he still had bars when need be.

As for Shaqir O'Neal, it's not likely that he'll follow his father's musical footsteps. Rather, he seems focused on making a name in college as a junior with the Florida A&M Rattlers.