Professional basketball player LiAngelo Ball (aka G3/G3 Gelo) has capitalized on his “Tweaker” hit by reportedly inking a $13 million deal with Universal Music’s Def Jam.
That’s according to an ESPN report as well as a direct confirmation to DMN from BeatStars, which Ball used when creating the viral track.
As many fans apparently know, 26-year-old Ball dropped “Tweaker” (including through WorldstarHipHop’s YouTube channel, it’s worth noting) closer to the top of January. Since then, the work has racked up millions of cumulative streams on YouTube, Spotify, and elsewhere.
Evidently, the song is driving significant career opportunities off the court for the Anaheim native, whose Def Jam/UMG deal reportedly encompasses an $8 million guarantee. The latter detail comes from ESPN’s account, complete with info provided by Ball’s Born2Ball Music Group label.
(It’s been nearly two weeks since Ball himself last posted on Instagram, and at the time of this writing, Def Jam hadn’t yet added him to its artists page.)
As mentioned, though, music marketplace BeatStars also confirmed Ball’s scoring the $13 million deal – and shed light on the exact creative process at hand.
Per BeatStars, through which users can purchase beats, vocals, and more, Ball found and then licensed the beat for Glockie Cheez- and KUNICA-produced “Tweaker” through its core platform.
Not stopping there, the former NBA G League player then used BeatStars-partnered (and mobile-focused) DAW Voloco “to record his vocals directly from his phone,” the marketplace indicated.
“Within days,” BeatStars summed up, “the completed track was released, proving that professional-quality music can now be created and shared without ever stepping into a traditional studio.”
The fully licensed foundation of “Tweaker” is noteworthy against the backdrop of generative AI’s ongoing expansion. Stated bluntly, it doesn’t require much skill at all to pump out “music” via artificial intelligence models.
In other words, with AI tracks still hitting streaming services en masse, BeatStars and similar businesses could usher in continued creative-process changes without abandoning human artistry or payments to proper musicians.
Running with the point, BeatStars founder and CEO Abe Batshon touted his company’s perceived role in “the future of music creation.”
“This is the future of music creation,” said the longtime BeatStars head. “With the right tools, artists like LiAngelo Ball are breaking down barriers and proving that creativity has no limits.
“‘Tweaker’ is more than just a viral hit—it’s a symbol of the empowerment we bring to creators worldwide,” concluded Batshon, whose platform is said to have paid out north of $350 million to its creator community.