LiAngelo Ball, who’s reportedly signed a massive deal with Def Jam/UMG amid the viral success of ‘Tweaker.’ Photo Credit: Graham Hodges
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.)
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.”
Update: BeatStars subsequently noted that the beat, hosted on the BeatStars platform, was actually discovered and shared with Ball on Voloco, though which BeatStars has a partnership. “LiAngelo’s friend was on Voloco searching for beats,” a BeatStars rep shared with DMN. “His friend found a beat he liked and sent it over to Gelo. As a reminder, the beats on Voloco come from BeatStars’ catalog through our integration.”
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.
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.
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LiAngelo Ball (AKA G3 Gelo) Reportedly Scores $13 Million Def Jam/Universal Music Deal Amid ‘Tweaker’ Blow-Up – Digital Music News
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