Payola is the reason why the World is Tweakerin

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​There’s been a video circling around the internet of rapper Richie Rich doing an interview on Sway’s podcast. What’s interesting about this episode is that Richie Rich tells how the industry is all about payola and that Lyor Cohen had told him that this was the reason why his record went number 1. Lyor even went as far as to say that because of payola he could have Rich’s grandma the number 1 artist in six months. This led me to think about LiAngelo Ball’s viral song “Tweaker”.

Who is LiAngelo Ball? Some might say a mediocre basketball player who was promoted and marketed to the point that he made the NBA. But in actuality he only played 2 seasons for the G League Hornets team before moving to the Mexico’s Astros de Jalisco. He’s the middle child between Bulls guard Lonzo and Hornets guard LaMelo who both seem to be talented. Now LiAngelo wants people to know him by his new rap name G3 Gelo. Whatever you call him is up to you.

‘Tweaker’. Let’s be real here. The first play makes this sound like a blast from the early 2000s. It’s sound is dated that at best is a meme or funny background music. The song doesn’t sound mixed or mastered and times just has this unpleasing busyness to it, like I can’t concentrate because there are too many stacked layers. Usually I like a raw, gritty, unmixed track, but this one is bad. G3 Gelo also doesn’t really show any rap skills on the track. There are bars that are subpar and downright puzzling like, “Rest my Glock against her fuckin' waist, I got some pottery”. What the Hell are you talking about? What the song does have going for it is the catchy chorus, and melodies, like when he says “woooaaahhh, woaaaahhh,.” it brings you back to that New Orleans Cash Money vernacular that everyone was saying. I would say the best line of the song happens to be the last line “But I'ma keep it real, she lost respect when you said, "Follow me", "me”. This is just an OK literal bar, but like I said, I'm pretty much grasping for straws looking for something to like about this song. Lastly the song ends with this weird crescendo and 3 seconds of silence. This is your champion???

Hit songs are born by unnamed artists all the time, right? Not exactly. Most hits songs come from familiar people with a fanbase, Tweaker is LiAngelo's first published song. Also, his brother Lonzo is credited as a co-writer of the song, which is a no-no in rap. This song definitely isn’t “They Not Like Us”. But how did it get so big? PAYOLA!!!!! Payola is technically illegal. But this is America, and the lines get blurred pretty quick. The only time something would go this viral from a mediocre song is because of Payola. Payola happens when artists pay to get their music played. This line might get blurred because the way people market and promote songs aren’t necessarily only on radio these days. Enter the power of the influencers. Streamers like Kai Cenat with millions of fans, 'allegedly' were paid to play 'Tweaker'. Also, enter the fact that G3 Gelo has two brothers in the NBA that have lots of connects, and you get the new payola. So it's probably not a coincidence that basketball stars like LeBron James or Damien Lillard SOCIAL CURREN$Y. The cool factor that you get when you’re an athlete, rapper, streamer, or social media influencer. It’s with this social curren$y that is taking Tweaker to have millions of streams on Spotify. Add TikTok dancers and boom! A hit. 

And the industry fell for it. First, Rolling Loud, who announced that G3 Gelo will be performing on their Rolling Loud California stage on March 1. An new artist with just 1 hit song gets to perform in front of one of the biggest rap crowds? 1 song? REALLLYYY? He's never performed before but he gets to hit the biggest stage. Then there is Def Jam who has reportedly signed him to a record deal (including his own label) worth as much as $13 million, with 8 million upfront guaranteed. An artist with 1 song gets 13 million at a time when all the record labels are dying and downsizing. A&R's are clearly grasping at straws trying to make a star out of anybody, but in opinion, anybody but G3 Gelo. But I hope they get what the paid for. "woaahhhh".

The real artists that have put in work and have done open mics with 10 people in the crowd, these are the artists who may never get an opportunity. These are the ones who deserve it more than anyone. The capitalist system that hip-hop has become has made it so that the real talent gets pushed to the side, while anyone with enough social curren$y can have all the opportunities and the riches. But who knows, maybe G3 Gelo will get better and sharpen his skills. and truly learn the craft that has saved so many lives. But until then I guess everyone will just " might swerve, bend that corner, woah"

If you feel like you still need to listen to the song or watch the video. Here you go: