Basketball player-turned-rapper LiAngelo Ball has signed an $8 million label deal with Def Jam Recordings following the viral success of his song “Tweaker,” according to reports.
Ball, 26, released “Tweaker” on Jan. 3 under the stage name Gelo. The song became a breakout hit, heard in NFL and NBA locker rooms as it rocketed up the streaming charts.
The deal with Def Jam and Universal Music Group could be worth as much as $13 million and gives Ball full ownership of his music and his own record label, sources told ESPN insider Shams Charania.
However, sources told TMZ that while Ball did indeed sign with Def Jam, he didn’t get $8 million for the deal.
Though Ball has lived an eventful life, he had little musical history before “Tweaker” became a hit. His older brother, Lonzo, has released two albums, and LiAngelo featured on Lonzo’s 2018 song “BITF.”
While Lonzo and the youngest Ball brother, LaMelo, both became top NBA draft picks and regular starters in the league, LiAngelo has not appeared in an NBA game.
LiAngelo was briefly set to play in college at UCLA — as Lonzo did — but got arrested on a preseason trip to China and never suited up for the Bruins. Instead, he played briefly in the Lithuanian league and has played in NBA summer league and preseason games, along with many G-League appearances. Last year, he played briefly in the Mexican league.
His music career is off to a hotter start. In addition to the record deal, he is scheduled to perform at Rolling Loud California in March.