LiAngelo Ball Signs Label Deal With Def Jam/UMG: Report

Professional basketball player and “Tweaker” rapper LiAngelo Ball has signed a label deal with Def Jam and Universal Music Group (UMG), according to ESPN reporter Shams Charania.

On Monday (Jan. 13), Charania, whose main beat is NBA news, tweeted that the recording deal for Ball, who performs under the name G3, was confirmed by “a representative from” Ball’s label, Born2Ball Music Group. He added that sources said “the deal is worth as much as $13 million, with $8 million guaranteed, and gives Ball full ownership of music and his own record label.”

UMG did not immediately respond to Billboard‘s request for comment on Monday.

“Tweaker,” which Ball released under the performance name G3, has become a viral sensation since a clip of Ball playing the song for YouTuber n3on took off on social media earlier this month. After Ball dropped the song officially on Jan. 3, the track has racked up millions of streams, memes, and placements during live programs like NBA on TNT. He recently snagged a performance slot at Rolling Loud California 2025 in March. 

Ball — along with his brothers Lonzo and LaMelo — first made headlines in the mid-2010s when all three played basketball for Chino Hills High School in California. Their father, LaVar Ball, taught them how to play the game and proclaimed that all three would eventually play in the NBA. While Lonzo (the oldest) and LaMelo (the youngest) have had varying degrees of success as NBA players, LiAngelo has struggled to earn a permanent spot on a team. However, he’s been able to play professionally overseas. “Tweaker” is his first officially released song under the G3 Gelo name.