I know the Pop-Pop of Hip-Hop has declared the death of Auto-Tune, but in case you missed the previous post, I could care less what he thinks is over (and I'm a fan). Besides, I've already forgotten his song (Reasonable Doubt >anything post The Blueprint).
I will admit that Auto-Tune has been overused to the point of ad nauseam, but I would be lying if I said I still didn't get my morning jigs in to certain songs that use it. Yes it's a gimmick, but unless the song just completely sucks, I'm not that pressed if an artists decided to channel their inner T-Troutman.
Burn at me at the stake in the comments section if you must, but here are a couple of songs that use Auto-Tune that I still like.
Mariah Carey: "Obsessed"
OK, so this song hasn't even been out for 24 hours and I'm starting a list with it...I get it. Lamb game proper.
I understand some of you are longing for the days where Mariah sang schmaltzy ballads that highlighted her purported seven-octave range. To that I say: That's what iTunes is for. It's the perfect outlet for you and your credit card to reminisce.
Is "Obsessed" on the level of anything found on Butterfly? Maybe if you're high, it is. Otherwise, it's just it's a fun song with funny one liners. Mariah swears she's going to have big ballads on the new album and only released this because she wanted a fun record for summer. I'll take her at her word and embrace my inner peacock in the meantime.
If you're wondering where that phrase came from, well, when I was on Twitter I said this song was a cluck anthem, but Stilleto Jill worded it much better: "Release your inner peacock ( a much prettier bird)."
Thank her. Follow her.
Mary J. Blige feat. Drake: "The One"
When Mary was asked about Jay-Z's "D.O.A." she hit back with:
"I won't say that it bothers me, because people do what they have to do," she told Martinez. "I can't pass judgment. Everyone else does what they do, and everyone has their own opinion. To each his own. Do what you do, because I do what I do."
Translation: "I don't give a damn."
Nor should she. I love this song. More and more I'm feeling like I should be calling her Auntie Mary, but in her defense, she would be the cool Aunt. The one who gets drunk and tries to do the Halle Berry at Thanksgiving. Speaking of drunk, when I first heard this song I could've sworn Mary was shouting, "STOP LOOKING FOR LIKKA STO'" in the hook of the track. I've since realized she's saying, "Stop looking for...for..."
That's not as fun so sometimes I still sing the lines as I initially thought they went.
I thought I was random until I read Steph Jones' tweets. Actually, I still am, but his level of randomness is leaps and bounds ahead of mine yet for some reason it's very refreshing. Anyhow, I was somewhat indifferent to him when he was with DTP, but the more I listen his music the more I take to his more ecletic style of music. This song uses Auto-Tune and I like the way he uses it so much I still would like one of you to get me a vocoder for Christmas. As you all know, I celebrate Christmas in both December and July, so gon' head and hop to it.
Young Money - "Every Girl"
Want to know how much I like this song? Catch me in the club when this song comes on. I'll rap Wayne's first word-for-word with so much energy you would actually think I was into that funny shit (i.e. the cat trap). Yeah, I don't like her, ain't worried about her, and would push her out of the way to get to her brother, but the fact that I'll sing the song like I wrote it proves how much I enjoy this song.
Then there's Kanye's last album, select tracks from Drake, and T-Pain's entire catalog.
I really do agree that someone people need to be smacked upside the head by T-Pain's big ass chain for overusing Auto-Tune, but until Chaka Khan comes out with an Auto-Tune assisted single, I'm not ready to give it up just yet.
You know what I would love to see wane off in rap? How about promoting the drug culture or rappers pretending to be in the Italian mob? Ooh, what about misogyny? Even better: How about rappers pushing 40 starting to act their age. I mean, if we're going to put a bullet in Auto-Tune let's kill off some other bullshit, too.
