LiAngelo Ball was a basketball dropout. Then he released the song of the year

IIf there was ever an athlete who could be a spokesperson for middle child syndrome, it was LiAngelo Ball – the black sheep of basketball. Nearly a decade ago, the 6-foot-4 forward was touted along with his brothers Lonzo and LaMelo as an NBA inevitable; Most of that promotion came loud and direct from paterfamilias LaVar, who parlayed the acute national interest in the boys into the family-owned Big Baller Brand.

But while “Zo” and “Melo” have since fulfilled their father’s prophecy – starring for the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets, respectively – “Gelo” turned into an object of ridicule as he bounced around minor leagues at home and abroad . Just when it seemed like LiAngelo couldn’t be more pitiful, he reappeared early this year on a popular stream belonging to an internet personality named N3on to share a rap song he made called Tweaker. “I could swerve, bend that corner / whoa-oh-ohhhh,” he croons on the chorus. ‘Do you want to tweak? / Rise with me and I’ll show you how it’s done.

But instead of hiding in more disappointment as he joins Kobe Bryant and Metta World Peace in the ignominious tradition of hoopers turned rappers, the 26-year-old is gaining newfound respect as an artist on the rise – a leading voice in An new era of rapper influencersmaybe. “That shit is hard,” music tastemaker Joe Budden said in praise of the song. ‘I might ask [it] at the strip club.”

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Tweaker the song of 2025 so far, a swaggering song that’s become a viral sensation, eclipsing even Drake’s latest mixtape offering. The Detroit Lions had a blast in their locker room after clinching a top seed in the NFL playoffs. Shaquille O’Neal, the embodiment of Hooper turned rapper, was bopping while the song Inside the NBA from the commercial played. But it’s not just NBA arenas that are turning Tweaker into a jock jam to rival Swag Surfin’; on social media the song supports everything workout videos Unpleasant weather reports“I’ve never heard a song come on that fast,” said Inside the NBA’s Kenny Smith — who is admittedly a 59-year-old father — as the show took an extended timeout from the basketball analysis to discuss the song.

Meek Mill and T-Pain are among a growing number of established emcees expressing interest in collaborating with Ball – who goes by the stage name G3. This week, after Ball made his debut on the Billboard Hot 100 and was part of the bill for this year’s Rolling Loud LA festival, NBA scoopmeister Shams Charania broke the news that Ball had agreed to a $13 million recording contract with Universal Music Group’s Def Jam label – the skunkworks that produced Jay-Z, the Beastie Boys and other hip-hop royalty. Among other incentives, the deal gives Ball full ownership of his masters and the green light to publish under his own name. “God works in mysterious ways,” Ball said in appreciation. And in the echo of his music prodigy, there has been a lot of head scratching in addition to the bopping.

Tweaker bears little resemblance to the hip-hop music that is now available, with the catchy chorus in particular being borrowed from a formula for making music with a lower F sharp that was all the rage when Ball still wore shorts. Also pulled from the past is the song’s bouncy beat and flow, leaving listeners of a certain age (ahem) amazed at how distinctly Tweaker resembles the Louisiana-born tones that defined hip-hop at the turn of the century. “You sound like you’re out of cash,” Cam’ron, the rapper turned sportscaster, said in Ball’s defense — after criticizing his playing career in the past.

But while Birdman et al. emerged from the New Orleans projects and built Cash Money into a hit factory that put the city firmly on the rap map, Ball was a spoiled LA rich kid who wore diamond earrings and drove a quarter-million dollar Ferrari drove – and no one doubts his credibility. If anything, the few who have prominently expressed their disdain for Tweaker – ex-NBA journeyman Patrick Beverley, a perennial naysayer, called it “weak” – say more about themselves than the song. For the hoops fans cheering on Tweaker, a not-insignificant Part of the song’s appeal lies in the way it redeems LiAngelo — the Ball brother who was all but left behind.

Ten years ago, the Ball brothers were the Kardashians of basketball. reality tv darlings whose high school highlights at Chino Hills fueled speculation about their NBA prospects on cable sports TV. No one did more to fuel the hype than their father, Lavar – an NFL washout who harbored a new ambition to become the first father with three sons drafted into the NBA. When Lavar didn’t make a great show the home-made workouts he put the boys through (starting with them as toddlers), or otherwise channel it ghosts of Richard Williams and Earl Woodshe appeared on any TV show that would have him to proclaim that all three sons – eventual clients of Jay-Z’s sports agency Roc Nation – would eventually do so start for the hometown Lakers, ushering in a new championship dynasty. (All the while, Tina Ball, the family matriarch, remained a laconic mainstay.) Lavar infamously broke the basketball mold and kept his sons from signing with the big shoe companies to launch Big Baller Brand, with Kobe- knockoffs from $495. Not surprisingly, the company hasn’t done exactly that deleted.

But even during Lavar’s big talk, there were times when he set an example for his reserved middle child – the least According to his calculations, he will probably reach the NBA. In a GQ interview, Lavar suggested modeling as a possible backup plan for LiAngelo, the “prettiest‘ from his boys. “He will be taken care of no matter what,” Lavar promised the magazine.

In a way, the guarantee of a soft landing helps explain why LiAngelo – even more so than his brothers – is prone to taking bold risks. While Lonzo was selected second overall by the Lakers in the 2017 NBA draft and LaMelo was taken third overall by the Hornets three years later, LiAngelo gained infamy for causing an international incident in college after he was injured during a trip with his college team was caught shoplifting in China. UCLA. (He could have faced a maximum of 10 years in prison before then-President Donald Trump intervened.) The incident, which occurred before LiAngelo’s freshman season had even begun, culminated in his indefinite suspension from the team. He dropped out of school a month later, turned pro and went on to play for developmental teams in the G League and Lithuania with LaMelo (who skipped his last two years of high school), but never garnered enough NBA interest to earn much more than invitations for a few training camps.

In early 2024, Ball would be sent home from a Mexican league due to a ligament injury after playing just two games – seemingly a death blow to his dreams of stardom. The current NBA season led to him feuding with Cam’ron over whose career was more pathetic. (“I only know you because your dad’s a great marketer,” Cam’ron said.) Meanwhile, Ball was planning his move into the rap game and borrowing the playbook again from big brother Lonzo — who released a full-length album, Born 2 ball, in 2018.

But for all the people who say LiAngelo can finally keep up with his brothers, it should be noted that he still needed Lonzo to write the song — although Lonzo, ever the selfless floor general, only seeks credit for designing the faded cover of the single. art. After a recent Bulls win, Lonzo kicked off the locker room party with a deafening preview of LiAngelo’s yet to be released follow-up single – and early online reactions are already causing him to be ejected two by two. In recent weeks, LaMelo has rapped on Tweaker during the Hornets pregame shootaround and LaVar bump into during a road trip. Ultimately, the black sheep of the family – a real musician with two young children to support – takes care of himself. Even those who once doubted LiAngelo can’t help but feel a certain paternal pride. “Lonzo Ball has received over $100 million in NBA career earnings to date, LaMelo Ball is currently on a $200 million contract extension, and now LiAngelo Ball finally broke through and made a career for himself,” said an X user noted. “Lavar Ball is on Mount Rushmore of Fathers.”

Of course, there’s no telling where LiAngelo will end up in this new career – with the music industry playing such a major role. cold-blooded game. But if the rave reviews of LiAngelo’s first work make anything clear, it’s that he’s clearly now the favorite son. Talk about an escape.