On Monday (Nov. 20), Pepsi premiered a commercial for their Minis product with Shaquille O’Neal. In the clip, the NBA great showed how being bigger than normal isn’t what it’s cracked up to be — all as a reworked version of Skee-Lo’s “I Wish” played in the background.
“I wish I was a little bit smaller, a mini Shaq baller, I wouldn’t have to yell when I talk to a toddler, I wish I had more leg room on a plane or a train, life is tough when you’re taller,” Skee-Lo rapped as the former Los Angeles Laker took viewers through a series of unfortunate, hilarious scenarios as a seven-foot human. Near the end, the legendary center dropped off a few bars himself, reminding everyone of his own abilities as an emcee.
The collaboration marked Shaq’s first with Pepsi in decades. Previously, he helped to promote the brand throughout the ’90s in several different clips, including one that was broadcasted during Super Bowl XXVIII. Another saw him bringing the laughs alongside actor Michael J. Fox.
“Back in the ’90s, being big was Shaq’s whole thing,” stated Pepsi Chief Marketing Officer Todd Kaplan via AdAge. “Today, he truly appreciates that good things can come in small packages. That’s the inspiration for the work.”
As REVOLT previously reported, Shaq spoke on being the best rapper-athlete in an interview with TMZ. “When people say they’re better than Diesel, that means you want to compete. I just like competing. So I put stuff out, they put stuff out, and we let the people decide who the No. 1 is. I know who the No. 1 is. I’ma always say myself,” he said. “They got a lot of guys that are coming. Dame Lillard‘s really nice. Iman Shumpert can go. Antonio Brown can go. All these guys can go. It’s all about competition.”