In 2014, T-Pain briefly broke the Internet with his stunning spot on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, the acclaimed music series featuring intimate in-office performances. "I know everybody’s wondering where the Auto-Tune is gonna come from," cracked the R&B/hip-hop artist, referencing the popular pitch-correction software that he’s used on hits like 2005's "I’m Sprung" and 2007's "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)." "It’s OK—I’ve got it in my pocket. It’s totally fine…It’s all surgically inserted," he quipped.
Jokes aside, the Tiny Desk showcase was a big moment in T-Pain’s career, proving to naysayers that his use of the ubiquitous Auto-Tune wasn’t some kind of masking technique for lackluster vocals. He went bravely bare-bones during that set, relying solely on his natural, soulful tone and impressively acrobatic technique—and he took the same approach during a 2023 live version of Black Sabbath’s 1970 anti-war heavy-metal protest anthem "War Pigs." If that sounds like an odd pairing of artist and song…well, just click play and see for yourself.
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The song, part of a wicked set called On Top of the Covers (Live From the Sun Rose), is a thrill from start to finish—shifting from psychedelic jam-band grooves to funky hard-rock embellishments. T-Pain is in absolute command of his instrument, building from a controlled low voice to a high, raspy wail. The band, meanwhile, is on fire with the arrangement, expanding the song’s rhythmic foundation and adding textural drama to the chord progression. Unbelievable.
Apparently Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne agreed with that breathless take. A few weeks after the clip went live on YouTube, he posted an X link with the comment, "This is the best cover of 'War Pigs' ever. Why didn’t you guys call me?" T-Pain showed respect to the metal legend, writing back, "You’re always invited. Top of the list, every time!! Thank you so much. Means a lot coming from the greatness himself."
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T-Pain’s studio version of "War Pigs" appears on the singer’s covers LP On Top of the Covers, and that rendition earned a co-sign from Black Sabbath bassist-lyricist Geezer Butler, who posted the YouTube link on X and called it "great." The album highlighted the breadth of T-Pain’s range, also featuring covers of soul classics (Sam Cooke’s "A Change Is Gonna Come"), old-school country songs (David Allan Coe’s "Tennessee Whiskey"), and arena-rock power-ballads (Journey’s "Don’t Stop Believin’").
He also played all of those tunes during the live Sun Rose set, and it’s worth watching the whole thing—I don’t recall another Journey cover on this level of vocal power, let alone one with gospel drum chops. "Dear god. If you didn’t know, now you know," wrote one fan in the YouTube comments. "T-Pain is a rockstar. Covering Sinatra, Chris Stapleton, and Black Sabbath. Spanning so many genres of music. He killed it all."
The year of that record’s release, T-Pain spoke to NPR about his musical evolution—and how his creative choices over the past decade have proven his vocal talents beyond the realm of vocal effects. "Here you go," he said, noting his attitude with the Tiny Desk show. "Everybody wants to hear this song in my style with no Auto-Tune—here you are. Shut up."
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Stoic statueCanva
A family makes heart shapes with their hands at sunset
Ketel Marte was brought to tears during an MLB game after facing a shameful fan taunt.
Baseball manager's poignant support for a player brought to tears after shameful fan taunt
Whether they’re expecting perfection from their favorite players or, worse, behaving callously toward opposing teams, sports fans often forget that athletes are human beings. But athletic competition has the ability to unify and uplift, even amid such painful and unpleasant encounters. Take, for example, a major-league baseball game held June 24, 2025 between the home team Chicago White Sox and visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
A shameful low point occurred when Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was at bat in the seventh inning. Per ESPN, a fan reportedly yelled out a comment regarding Marte’s late mother, Elpidia Valdez, who died in a 2017 car accident in the Dominican Republic. Team personnel, including manager Torey Lovullo, then requested the 22-year-old fan be ejected. (Though he was remorseful and admitted his actions were inappropriate, according to an ESPN source, he was nonetheless banned indefinitely from all MLB ballparks.) "We commend the White Sox for taking immediate action in removing the fan," the MLB said in a statement. Marte reportedly declined to comment.
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While the fan’s behavior is inexcusable, it did spark a powerful and inspiring moment. After hearing the comment, Marte was visibly upset, prompting Lovullo to walk on the field, put his arm around him, and offer some words of encouragement. "[I said,] 'I love you, and I’m with you, and we’re all together, and you’re not alone,'" Lovullo said in a post-game interview, as documented by The Rich Eisen Show. "'No matter what happens, no matter what was said or what you’re heard, that guy is an idiot.’"
According to Arizona Republic, Lovullo heard the fan’s comment but didn’t want to repeat it. “I looked right at [Marte] when I heard,” he said. “I looked right at him, and he looked at the person, as well. He put his head down and I could tell it had an immediate impact on him, for sure."
Elsewhere in the post-game interview, the manager called the moment "terrible" and reflected on why he stood up for Marte. "Fans are nasty, and fans go too far sometimes," he said. "I love my players, and I’m gonna protect them…I’ve known Ketel for nine years. He’s had some unbelievably great moments and some hardships as well and some really tough moments in his life. I know those. At the end of the day, we’re human beings, and we have emotions. I saw him hurting, and I wanted to protect him."
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The following day, the Chicago White Sox X account sent out a message in support of Marte, writing, "We’re with you" and "Baseball is family." On The Rich Eisen Show, the show's host addressed the need to eradicate this kind of toxic athlete-fan interaction: "I was hearing [people saying], 'There’s no place for this in major league baseball.' There isn’t. There’s no place for this in our society. I understand that people are saying the MLB has got to do something about this. Fans have a right to heckle players—this is something that has happened forever…But there is a line."
In another recent, depressing sports moment with a beautiful coda, let’s look to Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the eventual champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. During the first quarter, Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon—a devastating injury that could potentially sideline him for most of the 2025-2026 season. Following the game, in a lovely display of sportsmanship, Thunder point-guard and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went to the Pacers locker room to check on his competitor. In a press conference, he said, "You just hate to see it, in sports in general. But in this moment, my heart dropped for him. I can't imagine playing the biggest game of my life and something like that happening. It’s so unfortunate."
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