Shaq Plans to Donate Proceeds From Upcoming DJ Gig to The Families of Buffalo Shooting Victims
Shaquille O’Neal plans to donate proceeds from an upcoming DJ gig to the victims of the Buffalo supermarket shooting and their families.
On May 14, ten people were killed and three others injured at a Buffalo, NY grocery store in a racially motivated attack.
O’Neal spoke with SiriusXM host Swaggy Sie during the New York Governors Ball Music Festival about his side hustle djing and plans to put philanthropy first after an upcoming performance.
O’Neal, who moonlights as DJ Diesel, talked about the adrenaline he gets from playing for a crowd.
“I do this because you know, what’s going on now in NBA finals. Boston Celtics versus Golden State Warriors. It’s nothing that could recreate that. It’s nothing that create, can recreate winning the championship. But this. You know, when I, uh, stopped playing, I didn’t have that anymore,” he said.
He even alluded to battles with depression following his retirement from basketball in 2011.
“Don’t like to use the ‘D’ word, but let’s just say I was very, very down. Right. And I would get it every now and then I’d go to a restaurant ‘Shaq, Shaq, Shaq,’ but it’s only for a couple seconds. I went to a concert that was called Tomorrow World. It was half a million people and I’ve never seen that like that. And I haven’t been to the biggest hip hop concerts ever,” he added.
O’Neal describes djing as a much-needed energy boost.
“I could do this, cuz I need this adrenaline boost one hour, a day, one hour show gives me everything. So this, this right here will last me to my next show, which is in Buffalo. I’m going to donate my proceeds to some other family members who had a tragic loss,” O’Neal said.
“That is amazing. And that’s something that you’re not a stranger to philanthropy,” Sie said. “I know that you, anytime you walk outside, at least from what I’ve heard and from what I see you donate in some way. So have you done that today yet? Or are you anticipating doing that today at governor’s ball day too?”
“I probably will,” O’Neal said. “No, I just, I don’t, I don’t usually plan. I just used to have to, you know, see something and then I’ll just, if I see where there’s a need, I’ll just, you know, take care of.”
Listen above via SiriusXM.
