When the calendar turned to 2025, the world had no idea that LiAngelo Ball was a rapper. Less than two weeks into the year, Ball not only has a hit song, but a multimillion-dollar record deal.
Ball signed with Def Jam and Universal Music Group in a licensing deal worth as much as $13 million, with $8 million guaranteed, according to ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania. The deal gives Ball full ownership of his music and his own record label.
The second of the three Ball brothers has yet to play in an NBA game. The closest he got to the NBA were two different stints in the G League with the Greensboro Swarm from 2021 to 2023. The average annual G League salary is just $40,500.
Under the rap name G3 GELO, Ball dropped the song Tweaker on Jan. 3, and it quickly skyrocketed up the charts. The song was in the top 10 of the Spotify Top 50 U.S. playlist—and sits at No. 14 as of Jan. 13.
It quickly took over social media and the locker rooms of teams, starting with the NFL’s Lions, who pumped the song following their Sunday Night Football win over the Vikings on Jan. 5. Sports figures including Shaquille O’Neal, Angel Reese, and Dawn Staley have publicly showcased their love for the song.
“You got something there, Gelo,” Staley said in an Instagram video.
LiAngelo’s two brothers, Lonzo and LaMelo Ball, were top-three NBA draft picks in 2018 and 2020, respectively. Lonzo, who has struggled with injuries over the last few years, will have up to $112 million in career earnings by the end of this season. LaMelo is in the first year of a five-year, $203.8 million deal.
