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The 2021-22 season hasn’t been incredibly kind to the Portland Trail Blazers, and things might get even more challenging for Chauncey Billups and company in the near future. On Tuesday, Billups addressed the media and discussed the status of superstar guard Damian Lillard, who missed Portland’s win over Atlanta on Monday with abdominal tendinopathy. Lillard previously missed a five-game stretch in November and December with the ailment and, while his individual numbers have improved, this recent hiccup has prompted discussions of a potential break from on-court action.

While the Blazers are not completely out of contention at 14-22, it would be fair to suggest that Portland isn’t a title contender this season. From there, the 31-year-old Lillard has his worst individual statistics since 2014-15, averaging 24 points and 7.3 assists per game while shooting only 40.2 percent from the floor and 32.4 percent from three-point range. It’s also worth mentioning that Portland’s first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft is lottery protected, but if they finish outside of the lottery, it goes to Chicago.

Even in his weakened state, Lillard is Portland’s centerpiece and best player, but the abdominal injury has posed lingering problems for the veteran point guard. Clearly, the medical evaluation is something that can’t be fully understood from the outside but, if the team believes that an extended hiatus would help Lillard to fully recover, it does make sense to take course of action. Nothing is official at this juncture, but the Blazers have already ruled Lillard out for the team’s home game against Miami on Wednesday, and it is possible Lillard won’t return to the floor for a while.

After months of teasing his upcoming sixth album, The Weeknd finally revealed its title and release date earlier this week. It’s called Dawn FM and it’s set to arrive this Friday, January 7, less than two years after his 2020’s After Hours. He also revealed that Jim Carrey, Quincy Jones, Tyler The Creator, Lil Wayne, and Oneohtrix Point Never will all appear as guest acts. And he unveiled its cover art which portrays him as a grey-haired old man. With days until Dawn FM arrives, The Weeknd returned with another announcement.

In partnership with Amazon Music, The Weeknd will hold a livestream experience called 103.5 Dawn FM in support of the new album. The show will air on the Amazon Music Channel on Twitch as well as on the Amazon Music App. A flyer for the livestream reveals that The Weeknd will head to “somewhere in Los Angeles” to hold the show. It begins on January 6 12am ET / 9pm ET, which is exactly when Dawn FM will drop.

In a press release about the event, The Weeknd said, “The power of the 103.5 Dawn FM experience is that maximum fulfillment comes when all who hear it are tuned in at the same time.”

Dawn FM is out 1/7 via Republic Records. Pre-save it here.

Anyone who’s anybody is getting into NFTs: Ozzy Osbourne, Eminem, Melania, her husband’s former henchman Michael Cohen. But there have been some hold-outs. Ambient music pioneer Brian Eno claimed that expensive and easily reproducible jpegs that did unimaginable harm to the environment were for “hustlers.” They sent Keanu Reeves into a belly laugh. Now they have another skeptic: The guy who played Al Borland on Home Improvement.

Granted, Richard Karn — who also spent a handful of seasons hosting Family Feud in the aughts — wasn’t always wary of NFTs. He was for ‘em before he was against ‘em. On Monday, the actor and game show host revealed he was hopping on the non-fungible token band wagon. He was partnering, he said, with “Superfandom,” a company that helps celebrities design personalized NFTs and make a couple bucks. Some lucky winners wouldn’t just win digital tokens; some would also to chat on the phone, play golf, or join in a game of Family Feud over Zoom.

Alas, Karn had a change of heart.

“I’ve thought long and hard about NFT’s and I’ve decided it’s not something I need to do,” Karn tweeted alongside a photo of him sitting at what looked like a cozy bar or restaurant, an empty drink in front of him and a big smile on his face.

What changed his mind? Was is that latest South Park movie, in which Middle-Aged Butters is revealed to be an NFT hustler so dangerous he had to be locked up? Did he hear about Damon Albarn being trashed for being an environmentalist who nonetheless sold environment-destroying Gorillaz NFTs? Did he realize they’re kind of stupid? He didn’t say, but maybe he didn’t have to. After all, Al was always the more sensible Tool Time talker.

(Via The AV Club)

Last month, Bad Bunny capped off a successful 2021 with his P FKN R concert in Puerto Rico. The show welcomed 80,000 attendees to Estadio Hiram Bithorn on December 10 and 11 for what was set to be a great show. The concert, which was produced by Noah Assad Presents and Move Concerts, required all attendees to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or an official Vacu-Id provided by CESCO Digital. A mandatory mask mandate was also put in place, and those who refused would be removed from the event and fined $100.

Despite all these measures, it appears that the P FKN R concert contributed to the current spike in COVID-19 cases in Puerto Rico, which saw the number of positive cases balloon by 4,600% last month. According to The New York Times, at least 2,000 people — which accounts for 2.5% of the show’s attendees — tested positive after the show. Billboard notes that while people followed the mask rules at the concert’s entrance, many removed them once they arrived at their seats. They added that the show’s staff was not strict about enforcing the mask mandate inside of the venue.

Bad Bunny himself has tested positive at the end of 2020, resulted in him missing his performance at that year’s American Music Awards.

Late last year, the House committee investigating the lead-up and actions the day of the Jan. 6 Capitol siege dropped a not-so-shocking reveal: Multiple Fox News stars, like the former president’s own son, had frantically texted with the Trump team that day, attempting to get him to call off his violent supporters. One of them was Sean Hannity, frequent Trump softball interviewer. But now we’re learning there was more where that came from.

On Tuesday, the committee asked for Hannity’s “voluntary cooperation” with the investigation. Why? Because it turns out he didn’t just text the Trump team on Jan. 6. He’d been texting them about Jan. 6 for at least a week prior. On Dec. 31, 2020, Hannity texted then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, warning him that the plan to lure his supporters to D.C. the day Congress was set to certify the 2020 election wouldn’t go well:

“We can’t lose the entire WH counsels office. I do NOT see January 6 happening the way he is being told. After the 6 th. He should announce will lead the nationwide effort to reform voting integrity. Go to Fl and watch Joe mess up daily. Stay engaged. When he speaks people will listen.”

In their letter beckoning him, the committee said that text in particular “suggests that you had knowledge of concerns by Trump’s White House Counsel’s Office regarding the legality of the former President’s plans for January 6th.”

On Jan. 5, the day before the failed insurrection, Hannity texted Meadows again. “Im very worried about the next 48 hours,” he wrote. Other texts strongly suggested he’d spoken with Trump about his plans to subvert the election he lost by over seven million votes.

But wait, there’s more. In the days after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building, leading to five deaths, Hannity conversed with both Meadows and Trumpist representative Jim Jordan.

“Guys, we have a clear path to land the plane in 9 days. He can’t mention the election again. Ever,” Hannity wrote to them. “I did not have a good call with him today. And worse, I’m not sure what is left to do or say, and I don’t like not knowing if it’s truly understood. Ideas?”

Hannity is unlikely to face any punishment from Fox News for advising Trump on a violent event he would later downplay. He’s also almost certainly going to take the Jan. 6 committee’s invitation. As one person close to Hannity bluntly told The Daily Beast, “Why would Sean cooperate with them?”

(Via The Daily Beast)

At the beginning of 2020, YG’s San Fernando Valley home was raided by L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies and the rapper was arrested for ties to a robbery. Prior to today, no charges had been made and his lawyer claimed his client would be cleared of any wrongdoing. On Tuesday, TMZ reported that the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office has decided to not officially charge the rapper. “Not enough evidence of what defendant did to aid and abet the crime,” documents obtained by the publication read. “Presence during the crime alone is not sufficient.”

YG briefly spoke about the 2020 incident with help from his daughter Harmony on his 2020 album My Life 4Hunnid. On an interlude entitled “Traumatized,” Harmony says, “Daddy, the police just came and they’re knocking on the door, looking for you, and they have a gun in my face, and I don’t like that!” Towards the end of the album, on “Traumatized Interlude #2,” Harmony returns to plead for her father’s freedom after his arrest. “Daddy, when are you coming home?” she asks. “I miss you! And can you hurry up, ’cause the pigs kill people and I’m scared!”

The news comes after YG, his TeleHealth program, and the City of Hawthorne teamed up to provide additional mental health resources for low-income Los Angeles residents.

There are at least two Knives Out sequels en route, but none of them will (likely) feature one of the main attractions of the first: sweater king Chris Evans. But perhaps this is the next best thing: As per Deadline, the erstwhile Steve Rogers and surprise chest tattoo lord is reportedly in talks to play legendary hoofer Gene Kelly in a movie whose producers include Knives Out mavens Rian Johnson and fellow producer Ram Bergman.

The as-yet-untitled production won’t, however, be a straight biography about the Golden Age movie star. Here’s how Deadline describes the plot, whose script is to be written by Gladiator and Skyfall scribe John Logan: “The film is about a 12-year-old boy who works on the MGM Lot in 1952 and begins to create an imagined friendship with the legendary movie star Kelly while working on his next film.”

Mind you, 1952 was the year Kelly starred in and co-directed one of his most lasting triumphs, Singin’ in the Rain, which chronicled Hollywood’s oft-disastrous transition from the silent era to synch sound but in a lighthearted fashion, filled with one killer number after another.

Kelly was a quadruple threat: a dancer, a singer, an actor, and a film director, who helped take the movie musical in new, exciting, and sophisticated directions. Luckily, Evans is no stranger to tap dancing, and he’s even directed a film, so he’s part of the way there. In the meantime, he’ll be reuniting with another Knives Out alum on the romantic adventure romp Ghosted, starring him and Ana de Armas.

(Via Deadline)

Radiohead’s “Creep” has had an interesting journey during its 30-year lifespan. The song wasn’t a big hit when it was first released in 1992, only reaching No. 78 on the U.K. Singles Chart. The BBC actually banned it for a while, basically because it was too emo for the early ’90s. (We were all about the angst in the early ’90s. Actual sadness and loneliness, not so much. It also had the f-word in it.) But after it became a hit in Israel, its popularity spread, and when it was reissued in the U.K. in 1993, it reached No. 7.

Die-hard fans of Radiohead don’t like the song much because they don’t think it reflects the band’s true sound. The band itself has some mixed feelings about playing it and in their song “My Iron Lung” even expressed resentment of the way “Creep” had pigeonholed them. But its popularity has stuck and crossed generations, spawning multiple cover versions from a wide variety of artists.

Personally, I’m a fan of the song and always have been. “Creep” came out the year I graduated from high school and makes my Gen X heart go pitter-patter. It’s also just a good song—different, yet entirely recognizable. The simple, two-beat guitar riffs just before the chorus are tidbits of genius. The lyrics explore feelings rarely expressed out loud. It has amazing contrast between the lilting verses and the grungy chorus. Here’s the original if you need a refresher:

Radiohead – Creep

www.youtube.com

It’s also a song that covers actually do justice to, for the most part. Here is a handful of what I think are the best versions—and definitely one of the weirdest.

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Let’s start with the weird. The YouTube channel “There I Ruined It” shared a honky-tonk version of “Creep” that’s every bit as WTF as it sounds. But the video is meticulously edited to make it look like both Radiohead and some honky-tonk stars are actually singing it, so even though the song is a bit of an assault on the ears (unless you love honky-tonk, in which case more power to you), the video is worth watching purely for the wow factor.

Honky-tonk “Creep” from There I Ruined It

Amazing, right? I mean, I kind of hate it—sorry honky-tonk fans—but I’m also genuinely impressed. The matchup of the backup vocals with the video clips is perfection.

If you need to wash that out of your ears, more pleasant-to-listen-to versions are plentiful. Halle Bailey (of Chloe x Halle twin fame) recently shared a stripped-down cover version on TikTok with just her voice and an electric guitar and it’s lovely.

Generation TikTok “Creep” from Halle Bailey

Halle Bailey is only 21, but she’s not even the youngest performer to make “Creep” her own. In 2019, sisters Mimi and Josefin, ages 15 and 13, sang the song for their blind audition on Germany’s “The Voice Kids.” The audience and judges were so impressed with their performance, they sang an encore. The harmonies are what make this rendition particularly fun to listen to.

The Voice Audition “Creep” from Mimi & Josefin

Some of the best covers are the simple acoustic versions with just a singer and a guitar, like this one from Daniela Andrade.

Mellow acoustic “Creep” from Daniela Andrade

Ever heard an entire choir sing “Creep”? Check this out:

Creepy “Creep” from the Scala & Kolacny Brothers Choir

Scala & Kolacny Brothers is a Belgian girls’ choir and their version is more haunting than anything else. It’s the creepiest of the Creeps for sure, but very cool.

My personal favorite is the Vintage Postmodern Jukebox cover featuring Haley Reinhart. The big band sound is so unexpected for the song, the vocals are stellar, and it’s just hands-down the best version I’ve come across.

Vintage big band “Creep” from Postmodern Jukebox

Sorry diehard Radiohead fans, but “Creep” isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. People young and old love it and if musicians keep making it their own, it’s probably going to outlast us all.

(Final note: It seems remiss not to include the 2021 remix of “Creep” released by Thom Yorke of Radiohead himself. It’s not on my list of favorites, but it’s interesting to see how he’s interpreting the song three decades later.)

Thom Yorke feat. Radiohead – Creep (Very 2021 Rmx)

One of the most bizarre things we’ve seen in an NFL game happened on Sunday. Antonio Brown, on the heels of some sort of argument on the sideline, took off his pads and left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during their game against the New York Jets, waving goodbye as he made his way out of the stadium. Videos went on to show that Brown literally got a ride to New York City in the midst of the game following his decision to depart.

All of this begs a question that has never fully been answered: What the heck happened? There have been reports that the Bucs staff told Brown if he wouldn’t go into the game that he had to leave, while Brown claims he was too injured to play despite getting cleared. Now, according to a report by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, an MRI was performed and indicated that Brown was, indeed, banged up to the point that some folks around him think he should have sat out the game.

It is worth mentioning that Brown is still on the Bucs’ roster despite head coach Bruce Arians saying the team was going to cut him, and there is no word on whether or not Brown’s medical situation has complicated the team’s ability to do that.

Young Thug has wasted no time doing good deeds in the new year. The Atlanta rapper was driving around when he noticed a man on a side street dealing with truck problems. Thug came to the rescue. “Just gave this man a jump-start,” Thug said in an Instagram video he posted afterward. “I don’t know why God made him pull me over, but he saw my truck and was like ‘yo, yo, yo’ flagged me down. I gave him a jump-start.”

It joins a string of kind acts that Thug has performed in recent months. Last year, he and fellow Atlanta rapper Gunna helped to pay bail for 30 inmates in their hometown’s Fulton County Jail. “We just woke up and went to the jail with the lawyer and DA’s and the prosecutors, the bonding companies, and just got as many people as we can out,” Thug said at the time. Gunna added, “You never know what somebody been through. There was people sitting out three or four years and couldn’t get out on a bond.”

Thug is also working on constructing Slime City, a 100-acre area of land that he was gifted for his birthday last year, which he hopes to fill with high-quality homes, a waterpark, a camping site, a bike trail, and more.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.