Miami rapper Shepherd released a special version of his arena-anthem "Gametime" featuring NBA superstar and legend Shaquille O'Neal. The original version of the track quickly amassed 5 million streams landing on one of Spotify's largest curated playlists Beast Mode and caught the attention of Shaq himself who decided to jump on it.

ā€œI wrote ā€˜Gametime’ so the fans could have something to motivate themselves to get up and fight for their dreams and purposeā€ says Shepherd. Ā ā€œAs a former high school varsity linebacker, I remember the intense practices, countless hours in the field and the constant tensions of growth. Ā But when game day came and I heard the crowd scream, saw the cheerleaders dance and witnessed the fear in the opposite team’s eyes, I knew it was all worth it. Ā All the early mornings and late nights. Ā All the sacrifice, all the pain and the feeling of when you’re on the field right before the game and knowing you prepared for it. Ā I wanted to achieve all of those emotions in this song.ā€

Shepherd says on having Shaq on his song, ā€œHaving Shaq on my record is literally an unreal experience. Ā Tag teaming with arguably one of the best basketball players of all time is unmatched! Ā I know it’s something new to hip hop and trailblazes a new path between rap and sports. Ā I feel like it’s a unique opportunity that hasn’t been seen at this level before.ā€

https://open.spotify.com/track/3BidrzALKKrQhUA4oVQahZ?si=xIgPTR65Q-iXtfzCnD1h_w

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Jake Crates
Jake Crates, Music journalist and industry consultant focused on talent discovery, artist development, and cultural storytelling.

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