Shaquille O’Neal, aka DJ Diesel, performs during Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 11, 2023. Photo by Alive Coverage/Sipa USA.

The evidence was all around that former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal was in the house. Hours before his Twin Peaks set, O’Neal’s jerseys were scattered among attendees all around. They were mostly Lakers, with a few Magic and even a Phoenix Suns jersey mixed in. On this day, it was all about DJ Diesel, O’Neal’s record-spinning alter ego. His set drew a massive crowd to the Twin Peaks Stage, seemingly sprawled all the way to Ocean Beach, O’Neal was easily one of the most buzzed about acts of the day, even if just for the novelty of it all.

In his post-playing days, Shaq has become one of the most universally liked personalities around. He’s Shaqtin’ a Fool on TV, in all your favorite late-night and daytime commercials, and has gone viral on social media for his good deeds like buying groceries and clothes for people in need. Yet, for the all the build-up, his Outside Lands set kicked off with two other DJs, delivering some heavy beats that got the crowd going. That lasted for about 10 minutes. Just when it seemed liked the crowd might be getting restless, the man himself finally arrived.

Shaquille O’Neal, aka DJ Diesel, performs during Outside Lands Music Festival in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco on Aug. 11, 2023.

“Sorry I was late, I was hanging out with Steph Curry,” Shaquille O’Neal said as he causally sauntered in. His basketball background would be a recurring theme of the performance.

“We got any Warriors fans in the house?” he asked.

In terms of the actual music, Shaq kept things fairly straightforward, dropping heavy beats and commanding the crowd to get its “Hands up!!!” It was the familiar refrain, and O’Neal may have set a world record for commands to get hands up. He spun a combination of hip-hop and R&B with rock classics like Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle.”

Was Diesel the most musically accomplished artist playing Friday? Of course not. He didn’t even perform his first musical side-gig of rapping.

But it wasn’t the point. O’Neal is a crowdpleaser, which is exactly what he did through every moment of his set.

Shaq brought people on stage, lifted little kids high above his 7-foot, 1-inch frame. He could have read his grocery list, and the crowd would have had just as much fun.

“I want to see a lady mosh pit!” O’Neal commanded, before amending, “but keep it only to the ladies.” A mosh pit Diesel wanted, a mosh pit Diesel got.

Even the side stage was packed, with VIPs like the Warriors’ Gary Payton II and other artists looking on.

 

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