The other day, I saw a tweet that described 2025 as a “sci-fi ass year”—the kind of date films of decades past used to set the action around for all types of futuristic hijinks. Three days in, we’ve already begun living up to that standard thanks to the magnificently next-level phrase “swerve, bend that corner,” a new rap refrain courtesy of none other than… LiAngelo Ball?
Yes, that’s Ball as in LaVar Ball, the prophet who’s been willing his sons to superstardom since 2017. LiAngelo, who has an older brother (Lonzo) on the Bulls and a younger (LaMelo) on the Hornets, plays for a Mexican team after years in the G League, and has been fighting middle-child allegations for a time—but now, dammit, LaVar is looking three for three because Gelo might have a genuine heater on his hands.
It started, as most things do, as a meme of sorts. LiAngelo, during a visit to popular Kick personality N3on’s livestream, randomly revealed he’s been making music under the alias G3, and played a snippet of a song called “Tweaker” as they drove around. Far from sounding like the typically staid songs aspiring-rapper athletes come up with, whatever LiAngelo had on the speakers was, one way or the other, immediately arresting.
Gelo, G3…instead let’s call him Doctor Manhattan, because you have to be mentally unstuck in time to create the strange alchemy LiAngelo cooked up here. The beat? Something along the lines of the bouncy bling-rap Mannie Fresh would’ve given to himself and Birdman for a Big Tymers banger. Gelo’s flow sounds like he would’ve fit right in with the St. Lunatics. And that hook? All it takes is one distinct turn of phrase to stand out and “swerve, bend that corner” is about as different as it gets.
