HOUSTON — Why did Shaq shoot a rap video at a Home Depot while wearing the company's familiar orange apron? Rewind that tape and let us break it down for you, beginning with the back story.
'Home Depot Girl'
It all started when Ariana Cossie, a Houston college student, posted a seemingly innocent picture from her job at Home Depot saying customers tell her she's too pretty to work there. She defended her job saying she's earning money for college and the company has great benefits.
Twitter blew up. The post was seen by tens of millions of users and triggered an unexpected backlash.
Cossie said she ended up having to quit her job and she might even have to move because people doxxed her to figure out where she lives and works.
"Y’all turned something innocent into something crazy and ruined my way of making money by seriously taking the Internet TOO far," she shared on Instagram.
Cossie is leaning on her faith to see her through the storm.
"I just am grateful to God because this opportunity gives me a chance to start over and I also gained a platform," she said. "And that means a lot to me because I work really hard making, you know, my faith, my beauty, style and fashion content."
Shaq raps
The reaction to Cossie's post wasn't all bad. Shaq sent her a DM telling her not to listen to the haters.
"don't let them peopl bother u," he told her. "don't read the comments stuff like that will drive u crazy. have a great day and tell all your boyfriends i said hello lol."
A few days later, the NBA legend turned the whole thing into a rap video for his song "I Know I Got It."
"I'm at the Home Depot, I'm looking for somebody," he said at the beginning.
Shaq, who records music as "DJ Diesel," wears a Home Depot apron and poses for pictures with excited employees and customers. One woman and her mother told him they were there to find a washer and dryer.
"Okay, well I'm paying for it," O'Neal said in the video.
That family left happy and, alas, Shaq left without the Home Depot Girl.