“Thought I Got Jealous”: Shaq’s Unfiltered Diss Track on Estranged Dad Has Mom Lucille Bursting With Pride

The first week of November 1994, Shaq was bullying the Charlotte Hornets on the court and dissing his dad outside it. In the middle of an NBA season, Shaquille O’Neal made his return as DIESEL with his second album containing a song with striking lyrics. “Biological Didn’t Bother” was an obvious jab at his biological father, Joseph Toney, who was absent throughout his life. Shaq’s feelings about his father were as clear in 1994 as they were two decades later when he met the man. For the first time we know how his mother felt about the song. Dr. Lucille O’Neal did the rare interview on Sway’ in the Morning where she revealed that her rapper-athlete son opened her up to a wider range of music.

Speaking about the song, Lucille said, “When I heard that song I knew that song came from his heart.” This is a song where Shaq explicitly stated, “You brought me into the world but you’re not my dad.” According to his mom, “out of the song came the truth.”

Lucille is aware of the sad truth that there are a lot of children out there who grew up like Shaq with an absentee father figure. She knows that’s the reason why many resonated with that song. “It could have been anybody’s story and I know a lot of people said, ‘man, he got to be talking about me,’ ‘cuz that happens in a lot of places around here and he didn’t have any shame. I was so proud of him when I heard it.”

O’Neal adores his mom so much, his concern about this song was not digging into old wounds but fear his mom would have FOMO. “He thought I got jealous but he then he wrote a song about me.” But nothing like what Shaq wrote for his birth father.

Lucille confessed she never listened to rap music though O’Neal practically grew up on it. But when Shaq Diesel was dropping platinum-selling rap albums, she was not only proud of his artistry but also converted to rap music. Along with Shaq’s songs, she started listening to Tupac and Snoop Dogg. Her reaction to this song had to do with her son and she’s never dictated how he should feel about his biological father.

Shaquille O’Neal didn’t bother

Lucille was raising Shaq alone till she met Sgt. Philip Harrison. The same guy Shaq namedrops at the start of the famous song, “I want to dedicate this song to Philip Arthur Harrison, Word up, ‘Cause he was the one who took me from a boy to a man.” The theme of the song is a diss at Toney but the lyrics are an ode of gratitude to Harrison.

O’Neal has credited Harrison for shaping him as an athlete and father. “Biological didn’t bother” and its accompany music video was part of his 1994 album, Shaq Fu: Da Return. The song charted on Billboard Hot 100 among others. At that point, he had not met his bio father.

Harrison passed away in 2013, leaving only fond memories with Shaq. He revealed on Dr Phil that his mother called and asked if he wanted to see his bio father. He agreed and at the age of 47, Shaq met Toney ahead of his Hall of Fame induction. One of the first things Shaq said to him was, “I don’t hate you.” In his HoF speech, it would be Harrison who featured prominently. As Lucille has cemented, Shaq only says the truth.