Shaquille O’Neal is a lot of things—one of the greatest players in NBA history, current sports analyst, problematic cop-lover/soon-to-be sheriff, purveyor of a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop—and we can now add EDM-festival head to that list.
According to Billboard, Shaq’s going to perform—well, he’s gonna DJ—at a “carnival-style” event (?) titled “Shaq’s Fun House” (??), which will take place Saturday, March 24, in Miami immediately following day 1 of the three-day, real-ass EDM event Ultra Music Festival. It’s convenient timing for a last-minute festival announcement, but when has Shaq ever expressed any interest in electronic dance music? Am I the only one confused here?
The event itself is invite-only (sorry) and will take place at a secret warehouse location (ugh). It will apparently feature a handful of secret EDM performers, a cabaret show and “over-the-top” carnival attractions; it also starts at 2 a.m. and ends at sunrise. (I’m tired after just writing that sentence.) Shaq promises “flame throwers, people swinging from ceilings, a lot of costumes,” which just sounds really dangerous.
“Despite all the problems that are going on in the world, there are two [things] that’ll bring people together: It’s sports and music,” O’Neal told Billboard. “We want this to be very different than any other festival.”
As for his DJ set, the lucky few (thousand? How many people will actually go to this thing?) will get to experience a collection of EDM and hip-hop. “I like to read the crowd and see what they like, but I want to hit them with that base, edgy trap. I like all types of music. I’m [a] mixture of AoB and Skrillex,” he told the publication. “That’s my alias, the black AoB-Skrillex.” He was referring to AoB, the electronic soul duo, and not Ace of Base, so take that as you will.