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LiAngelo Ball never made an NBA roster, but he’s now somehow getting paid NBA-type money for his music. Two weeks ago, Ball appeared on Neon’s streamer and teased his song “Tweaker,” which sounded like a classic 2000s southern rap song.
the moment Neon made LiAngelo Ball play his unreleased song which turned out to be a hit 😭🔥 pic.twitter.com/mwWm1TKIFK
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) January 4, 2025
The song immediately went viral and has been played across NBA and NFL locker rooms.
I MIGHT SWERVE, BEND THAT CORNER! WOAHHHH!
The Lions are bumping LiAngelo Ball’s rap song ‘Tweaker’ after winning the No. 1 seed in the NFC. 🔥
(🎥: @amonra_stbrown) pic.twitter.com/r9shjzl9Zk
— theScore (@theScore) January 6, 2025
On Monday, NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Ball had signed a massive record deal due to his hit song.
“LiAngelo Ball has signed a deal with Def Jam and Universal Music Group, a representative from his label Born2Ball Music Group says. Sources said the deal is worth as much as $13 million, with $8 million guaranteed, and gives Ball full ownership of music and his record label.”
Brian Zisook of the music streaming site AudioMack tried to explain Ball’s record deal.
“A record deal is not an NBA contract, so to clarify: Ball signed a licensing agreement. $8M is an advance on his future royalties. It’s not a signing bonus. It’s also highly unlikely the label advances Ball the full amount upfront.”