Month: December 2021

A funny thing happened on the way to last night’s SNL: There was a massive, terrifying spike in COVID cases in New York City and State, thanks to the new Omicron variant. Live events, including Broadway shows, have already been postponed or cancelled. It even wreaked havoc on what was supposed to be a joyous occasion: the last SNL of 2021 that was also Paul Rudd’s fifth time as host. (Well, at least people are still going out to see Spider-Man in droves.)

The show still went on, sort of. Hours before last night’s episode went live, it was announced that, out of an abundance of caution, much of the cast and crew had been sent home and no audience would be present. Musical guest Charli XCX also had to cancel. And so instead of some lavish “cold open” making fun of Lauren Boebert or someone, we got a bittersweet bit where Rudd was welcomed into the fabled “Five Timers Club” — for those who’ve hosted five times or more — in front of a very sparse crowd.

He had a little help from his friends. Tom Hanks — the originator of the FTC — was there, as was longtime cast member/writer Tina Fey. “Tonight everyone at SNL planned to do our big Christmas show, and induct a new member into the Five Timers Club,” Hanks said. “But COVID came early this year.” Why was Hanks, a non-cast member, there? “I came here from California, and if you think I was going to fly 3,000 miles and not be on TV, you got another thing coming.”

Eventually Rudd came out to receive his “Five Timers Club” robe. “I’m extremely disappointed!” a chipper Rudd told Hanks and Fey and what was left of the crew. “There was a whole show planned,” he said, preparing viewers at home for the show’s Plan B: The rest of the episode would be whatever pre-taped sketches they filmed over the week plus some random old bits, like the classic “Dick in a Box.” Why not! What else were you expecting from a live show that had to deep six pretty much everything mere hours before going on air?

But at least Rudd got his “Five Timers” robe — even if, as Keenan Thompson pointed out, it’s really “4 ½.” You can see the grand occasion in the video above.

Charli XCX was supposed to perform songs from her forthcoming album, Crash on Saturday Night Live tonight, but Covid-19 put a damper on that.

The spread of the new Omicron variant in New York had impacted so many SNL cast members that the show opted to go on tonight with a much more limited staff and cast than normal — and no live studio audience. The changes meant that it wasn’t possible to execute Charli XCX’s appearance, so she clarified that her performance was canceled, but not by her:

In the meantime, she wants fans to stay excited about the “poptastic” and “sexual and demonic” new album she has on the way, so instead of a live performance it might be time to send out some rough drafts of new music?

Since she’s already shared both “Good Ones” — along with a pitch-shifted remix from Perfume Genius — and her fantastic collaboration with Caroline Polachek and Christine And The Queens (who were supposed to perform alongside her on SNL) “New Shapes,” it is likely that Charli has a few more finished tracks up her sleeve before the album comes out next year. But hey, demos are always a great addition too! Drop the music Charli, we’re all stuck at home and ready to listen.

Former UFC champion Tyron Woodley stepped back into the boxing ring on Saturday night with the hopes of avenging a loss he suffered earlier this year to internet personality Jake Paul. In their previous fight, which took place in August, Paul won via split decision in Woodley’s debut bout, and after the previously-scheduled fight between Paul and Tommy Fury fell through, Woodley stepped in on short notice and promised that this time would be different.

The good news: This time was, indeed, different. The bad news: It was because the judges were not a factor. Paul knocked Woodley out cold in round six with a right hand that sent him straight to the mat. The referee did not even need to count to 10 to declare that this one was over.

It wasn’t always a particularly exciting fight, but it did end with a bang, and as a result, the internet came together to get off a bunch of jokes at Woodley’s expense.

One tried and true reaction popped up: Woodley, face down on the ground, with Simba from The Lion King photoshopped into it.

There is no word on what is up next for Paul, but it’s probably safe to assume he’ll want to finally get his bout with Fury lined up soon.

Back in June, the lineup for a new hip-hop focused festival in Los Angeles dropped, and fans were thrilled it included so many local legends. Once Upon A Time In LA counted Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent as headliners, and appearances from a whole host of R&B and hip-hop talent, including legendary performers like Al Green, Warren G and DJ Quik, and embattled LA rapper Drakeo The Ruler, who was finally freed once more after a very convoluted court case.

But in a potentially horrific turn of events at Banc of California stadium tonight, reports began to surface on social media that someone was attacked during the festival. Claims that Drakeo The Ruler was stabbed in the neck began circulating due to an original post that came from power 106 DJ Letty. Letty has since deleted the tweet that included the information about Drakeo’s injury, but here’s a screenshot:

People reporter Tomás Mier was told that the festival would still go on, just without Snoop Dogg, who left the event right after the stabbing. Mier also confirmed that Drakeo The Ruler was the stabbing victim, citing Lt. Ellerson at USC DPS as the source, who stated the rapper has been transported to the hospital in critical condition. No one is in custody for the attack as of yet.

CBS LA previously reported that via their Twitter “one person was stabbed” during the festival and that according to LA City Fire Department, the victim had been transported to the hospital. They also reported that the city has officially shut down the festival, which the festival later confirmed on Twitter.

This is an emerging story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Back in June, the lineup for a new hip-hop focused festival in Los Angeles dropped, and fans were thrilled it included so many local legends. Once Upon A Time In LA counted Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent as headliners, and appearances from a whole host of R&B and hip-hop talent, including legendary performers like Al Green, Warren G and DJ Quik, and embattled LA rapper Drakeo The Ruler, who was finally freed once more after a very convoluted court case.

But in a potentially horrific turn of events at Banc of California stadium tonight, reports have surfaced on social media that someone was attacked during the festival. So far, only a few tweets from fans on the ground at the event have come up, but the claims that Drakeo The Ruler was stabbed in the neck began circulating due to an original post that came from power 106 DJ Letty. Letty has since deleted the tweet that included the information about Drakeo’s injury, so the victim’s identity and condition hasn’t been confirmed.

A journalist on the ground, Amanda Fitzpatrick, shared videos of the chaotic scene at the festival along with the report that the headliners Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent will not perform. A prior tweet discussed “intermission,” so whether or not the show will go on is still unclear. She stated that backstage exits have been closed and she was told by security that the festival is “now a crime scene.”

It’s worth noting that Amanda doesn’t have any information regarding Drakeo, and nothing official has been released by Drakeo’s camp or from the festival. Drakeo was scheduled to perform at the event around 8:30 PM PST tonight but never got the chance to take the stage. CBS LA also reported that via their Twitter “one person was stabbed” during the at the festival and that according to LA City Fire Department, the victim has been transported to the hospital.

This is an emerging story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

The latest celebrity boxing bout took place on Saturday night, as former NBA point guard Deron Williams and longtime NFL running back Frank Gore went toe-to-toe as one of the fights on the undercard for Jake Paul’s second bout against Tyron Woodley. By the time the four-round fight came to an end, Williams came out on top via split decision.

The two athletes were, as you could guess, not exactly the most polished fighters in the world, but both made clear they wanted to throw bombs and try to hunt a knockout from the jump. While neither dude was able to get the other to the mat with punches through the first two rounds, Gore did hit the deck due to a shove from Williams that sent him into the ropes and caused the fight to get temporarily paused while he took a moment to compose himself.

In round three, Williams was able to get a knockdown. He backed Gore into a corner and threw punches until he started to go down, and while he did not lay out on the mat, the referee believed Gore used the ropes to keep himself upright. The fight continued, though, and needed to go to the cards. Gore won one, 38-37, while Williams won the other two, 38-37 and 40-35. Williams landed 48 of his 156 punches (31 percent), while Gore landed 39 of 166 (23 percent).

There is some bad news for anyone who missed the fight: It sounds like a rematch will not happen, as Williams said after that he’s retiring with a peerless 1-0 record.

He can proudly say he accomplished his goal of not being Nate Robinson.

In the summer of 2019, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was coming off of a strong rookie season for the Clippers and seemed like a point guard of the future for an L.A. team shifting focus a bit towards the future. However, when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George came available as a tandem via free agency and the trade market, Gilgeous-Alexander became the player centerpiece of the blockbuster that sent George to the Clippers and a boatload of picks to Oklahoma City for them to begin a complete teardown.

In the two years since landing with the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander has steadily taken strides towards stardom, inking a max extension this past summer in Oklahoma City. So far this season, Gilgeous-Alexander has been among the many players to see their shooting efficiency take a hit this year, but he has taken over at times to will the still rebuilding Thunder to some impressive wins. Their latest came on Saturday night against his old club, as Gilgeous-Alexander got to send the Clippers back to L.A. with a loss on a stepback three at the buzzer to turn a two-point deficit into a one-point win.

It is a tremendous shot, as he creates a huge amount of separation with that methodical stepback, giving himself a wide open look that, despite a 30 percent start to the season from three-point range, finds nothing but net. Shai finished the game with 18 points and six assists, hitting the timely game-winner to help out what was a sensational effort from Lu Dort, who had 29 points and five boards to lead the way for the Thunder against the George-less Clippers.

For years, the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts had one of the most hotly-contested rivalries in all of American sports. While those days are gone now that Tom Brady is on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Peyton Manning is retired, tensions still boiled over on Saturday night as the two teams squared off at Lucas Oil Stadium.

During the third quarter of action, Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman and Patriots safety Kyle Dugger got into some extracurricular activities. Pittman went up to Dugger, blocked him, and shoved him, which Dugger did not appreciate. While Pittman was staring him down, Kyle Van Noy came in and shoved him into Dugger, who then grabbed the back of Pittman’s helmet and pulled it off.

The two teams had to be separated, and at the end of the fracas, the referees determined that both Pittman and Dugger needed to be ejected. At the time of the decision, the Colts were up, 20-0.

This wasn’t the only time there was some jawing between the two teams, as Carson Wentz got into it with Matthew Judon after another member of the Patriots got a piece of the Colts QB while standing up after a play.

The Patriots entered the game with a two-game lead on the Buffalo Bills for first place in the AFC East, while the Colts are two games behind the Tennessee Titans in the AFC South.

Last week, Alicia Keys released her eighth album Keys complete with 26 songs for listeners to enjoy. The project also flaunted guest appearances from Pusha T, Lil Wayne, Swae Lee, Lucky Daye, Brandi Carlile, and Khalid. Now that people have been able to spend time with the project, Alicia Keys returns with a new short film to accompany the album. Clocking in just shy of 13 minutes, the film follows her career as a musician from her young days as a child to today as an undeniable star. Snoop Dogg, Swae Lee, Lucky Daye, and her husband and producer Swizz Beatz also make appearances in the film.

Keys arrives a little over a year after Alicia dropped her seventh album Alicia. Her eighth album is divided into two parts — side A, which features stripped-down music produced entirely by Keys herself, and side B, which leans towards a hip-hop-friendly sound thanks to production from Mike Will Made-It. It’s a solid follow-up to 2020’s Alicia, which featured appearances from Jill Scott, Khalid⁣, Miguel, Sampha, Snoh Aalegra, and Tierra Whack. Keys also serves as somewhat of a sequel to Alicia with both bodies of work do a good job of showing the full range of the singer’s artistry.

You can watch the short film for Keys in the video above.

Tierra Whack is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Los Angeles Lakers will not have the services of Anthony Davis for a while. According to the team, Davis, who suffered a knee injury during L.A.’s blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday evening, will miss at least the next four weeks after being diagnosed with a sprained MCL.

During the third quarter of the game, LeBron James was being checked by Jaden McDaniels and passed the ball to Davis. He pushed off of McDaniels before trying to cut to the rim, which sent McDaniels flying backwards into Davis’ left leg. The All-NBA big man’s knee buckled, he went down in visible discomfort, and he tried to make his way back to the locker room. But before he could get there, Davis collapsed in the tunnel and started holding his left knee.

Davis’ left knee had been giving him trouble in recent days, as he was dealing with soreness that held him out for two games. The Lakers play 13 games in the next four weeks, and while nine of them will take place at home, there is no guarantee that Davis’ evaluation will lead to him getting the green light to play. Currently, the team sits at 16-14 on the year, which gives them the 6-seed in the Western Conference. They are a half-game up on the Denver Nuggets for the 7-seed, and hold a four-game cushion on the Sacramento Kings, which currently hold the 10-seed.