Will 'Auto-Tune' Ever Die? Jay-Z Hopes So

by Caleb Johnson on July 4, 2009 at 01:25 PM

There's a great debate going on in popular music, and it centers on a software program called 'Auto-Tune.' Its name might not sound familiar, but if you've turned on the radio lately, you've heard it used. From country artists like Faith Hill to rap artists like T-Pain, musicians are using 'Auto-Tune' to change the pitch of their vocals, thus adding a robotic effect to the sound of their already overly processed voices, according to a report from MTV News.

Now Jay-Z, king of hip hop, has added his two cents with a new track titled 'D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune).' In the song, he issues a call to arms against the pitch-correction software. The rapper said it officially became a 'gimmick' when it was used in a Wendy's television commercial.

Apparently, though, Jay-Z isn't entirely against the technology; he brought T-Pain (who uses 'Auto-Tune' like it's going out of style) on stage at a concert, and supports Kanye West, who also used it on his last album. Some artists, like will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, have defended their use of 'Auto-Tune' (but in a polite, decidedly non-gangsta manner, of course).

If anyone has the power to put 'Auto-Tune' six feet under, it's Jay-Z. After all, no one wants to start a feud with Hova. [From MTV News]

Tags: auto tune, AutoTune, jay-z, mtv, music, rap, top

Comments

Jsams4131Jul 4th 2009 2:22PM

Neutral

Word up to Jay-z lol...but yea That's pretty much why I stopped listening to hip-hop the auto-tune just hit it like wildfire...and it really showed me that a lot of hip-hop artists are not original whatsoever.

besides the fact that people who are new to the world will think auto-tune orginated from hip-hop..when it actually has been around for decades.

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Jsams4131Jul 4th 2009 2:23PM

Neutral

but with that said there are hip-hop artists worth listening to...

Cool Kidss!

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SmudgeJul 4th 2009 9:09PM

Neutral

decades? Auto-tune first came about a little over 10 years ago.

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GiJul 5th 2009 8:11AM

Neutral

i totally agree that's exactly why I stopped listening as welll

and as for ten years ago you're buggin....google Roger and Zapp

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JonathanJul 4th 2009 3:09PM

Neutral

If you've ever heard Evanescence, you've heard an awful lot of Auto-Tune. Ask anyone who has heard that broad try to sing without it.

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SmudgeJul 4th 2009 9:06PM

Neutral

Very little auto-tune used there actually. Listen to her play acoustic sets, or the old live video from Vino's, before she would wear corsets restricting her breathing, or jump around way too much on stage, and you will hear that her live singing is actually good. Just in concert, she has bad technique.

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MichaelJul 4th 2009 3:20PM

Low Ranked

Jay-Z is washed up. DOA sounds like shit.

T-Pain > Jay-Z

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BrandonJul 5th 2009 11:46PM

Neutral

Jay Z is one of the only Hip-Hop artists that can influence the stock market let alone a 16 year old kid with an iPod like you. Washed up he is not! He is trying to wash out the over the wall pop that plagues our ears and bring back some balance to the culture. Even the lil Wayne recognizes the need for less bling and he coined the term.

BKLYNFINEST you of all people should know he's not haten! Are you really from Brooklyn and if so how are you the Finest?

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pnut166Jul 4th 2009 8:48PM

Neutral

Autotune is used on virtually every album out there, but it`s used the way it was intended-subtle, natural pitch-correction here and there. T-pain (name should be ear-pain) perverted it and turned it into a shitty sounding gimmick. Autotune is awesome to "fix" a good singers off-notes, but when you turn all of the settings to 10 and use it on a whole vocal track, it needs to die.

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BKLYNFINESTJul 5th 2009 1:03AM

Neutral

JAY Z NEED TO STOP HATEN AND LET PEOPLE GET THERE MONEY. AND IF HE WANTS TO STOP SOMETHING HE SHOULD SPEAK ON SOMETHING MORE POSTIVE. TIGHT JEANS, UNPOTECTIVE SEX OR SOMETHING.

STOP HATEN JAY....

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ZeezabroJul 20th 2009 1:09PM

Neutral

DIE AUTO-TUNE! I've been hating on that effect since T-Pain came out in '05! Sign this petition to put an END to Auto-Tune!

http://www.petitiononline.com/AutoTune/petition.html

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