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The crossover between sports an Hip-Hop will always bring harmony to society, and LiAngelo Ball‘s latest offering is a prime example of the strong connection that exists within the two worlds. His new song “Tweaker” debuted at the top of January 2025 has been taking the internet by storm, with fans, athletes, and rappers all joining in on the fun.
Both NBA and NFL athletes steadily started sharing videos of them turning up to the track in their respective locker rooms, as Gelo’s catchy bars blared through the speakers to help them get game-ready: “I might swerve, bend that corner, woah-woahhh.”
“Tweaker’s” infectious opening hook paired with the thumping instrumental is heavily reminiscent of the early 2000s, drawing comparisons to “early Nelly” and even spawning mashups with hits by Jeezy, Big Tymers, and 50 Cent. A local weatherman even included the “swerve” lyric while delivering his report about slippery roads. Check out the clips below.
Social media coordinators for several teams hopped on the “finish this lyric” trend and used “Tweaker” as their latest tool. Between participation from celebrities across various professions, DJs, social media users, and more, it’s safe to say the song is heating up nicely.
See some of the best reactions to “Tweaker” by Gelo from athletes, rappers, and more below.
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‘Inside the NBA’ Squad
Image Credit: Byron Cohen via Getty Images
The “Tweaker” hype is spanning generations, as it has officially made its way to the legendary hosts of Inside The NBA on TNT. A new clip showed Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, and Shaquille O’Neal sharing their candid reactions to the song.
Kenny Smith had the most impressive response as he compared the song to a previous Hip-Hop era and knew LiAngelo’s rapper moniker, saying, “Is that Manny Fresh and Juvenile or that Gelo?” Shaq rapped the lyrics and danced along immediately, while Barkely had absolutely no idea what was going on.
Fans in the comments hilariously joked Ernie put his “Frank Sinatra” twist on the “woah,” and another top comment (accurately) suggested, “Shaq would be bumpin’ this in the 90s.”
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Boosie Badazz
Image Credit: Prince Williams/WireImage
Social media users have been repeatedly pointing out the Southern influence present in “Tweaker,” so it was only right it caught the attention of rappers from the respective region. Boosie Badazz entered the chat and tweeted LiAngelo, sending out the bat signal for a potential remix.
“Send da verse!” the Baton Rouge native typed.
The “Wipe Me Down” creator is no stranger to concocting legendary anthems, from pre-game hype songs to party bangers, so his feature is sure to match the energy of the record seamlessly.
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The Brooklyn Nets
Image Credit: Mark Blinch/Getty Images
It officially looks like most of the players on the Brooklyn Nets are tapped into the Hip-Hop scene. The team’s social media coordinator played an impromptu game with the guys as they walked to the locker room ahead of a game earlier this week, where she recited the first bar of “Tweaker” and asked each of them to “finish the lyric.”
Jalen Wilson kicked the video off by enthusiastically repeating the viral “woah-woah.” D’Angelo Russell was a bit more coy, as he replied with a smile, “Oh, that’s that new, uh- he killed that. I like that.” Other players like Nic Claxton, Ziaire Williams, Day’Ron Sharpe, Tyrese Martin, and Keon Johnson, also passed the test.
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The Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets also played the surprise “finish the lyric” game, but were given a level harder. The social media coordinator simply said, “I might swerve…” and left it up to the players to show off their knowledge. KJ Simpson, Brandon Miller, Nick Smith. Jr., and more all pulled up ready to rap along.
It’s worth noting LiAngilo’s brother LaMelo Ball is on the Hornets, and both he and his father LaVar Ball didn’t miss a beat in the clip.
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Moneybagg Yo
Image Credit: Paras Griffin/Getty Images
Moneybagg Yo saw the potential of “Tweaker” and became one of the earliest rappers to publicly put his stamp on the song. He sent out his feature request via X and vowed to go hard and elevate the hit.
“@Liangeloball send me da open verse ima tweak,” he typed. As a Memphis native, the “Time Today” spitter’s flow will surely fit perfectly on the bouncy beat.
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The Detroit Lions
Image Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions posted a peek into what goes on in the team’s locker room and this week, it was “Tweaker” that got the squad amped up for their time on the field. As the track blasted at full volume, the football stars hyped each other up and showed love to the song by chanting every word together.
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