The former professional basketball player LiAngelo Ball kicked off 2025 with a song called “Tweaker” that has caught the attention of the Detroit Lions, Lil Yachty, and many others. It’s also landed him a record deal, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who reports that Ball has signed with Def Jam Recordings and its parent company, Universal Music Group, for a deal that could be worth up to $13 million. Ball, who released the single via his family’s Born to Ball Music Group, will retain ownership of his music and his label, according to Charania. A Def Jam representative confirmed the signing to Pitchfork, but declined to comment on the financial details of the deal.
Ball is the middle child of LaVar Ball, the former professional football player who made waves in the 2010s through the bombastic promotion of his sons’ basketball careers. The elder Ball co-founded Big Baller Brand, in 2016, as his oldest son, Lonzo, was getting ready to enter the National Basketball Association. The father has faded from the public eye as his sons, namely the youngest Ball, LaMelo, have found their footing professionally.
LiAngelo Ball, who records under the name G3 Gelo, had released very little music prior to “Tweaker.” He most prominently featured on his brother Lonzo’s “BITF” in 2018. He is due to perform at Rolling Loud California in March.
LiAngelo Ball played basketball at California’s Chino Hills High School before committing to play for UCLA. He never took the court for the Bruins, however, as he and two teammates were arrested in China, in 2017, for shoplifting. The athletes were released from custody and returned home, but they were suspended by the UCLA basketball team. Ball soon withdrew from UCLA before embarking on a professional career that saw him play for teams in Lithuania, Mexico, and the NBA G League.
