MUSIC REMIX: "I got 99 problems but my pitch ain't one."

Felix Mitchell

#1 – 6:19 PM June 17, 2009

It'd be funnier if it didn't sound AWFUL.

O_M

#2 – 7:20 PM June 17, 2009

...Jay-Z is like most, if not all (c)Rappaz: they have 99 problems and 98 of them are variations on lack of talent.

DSMVWL THS

#3 – 7:56 PM June 17, 2009

Well, I like it.

C $ Hzzl

#4 – 9:08 PM June 17, 2009

LOVE this. It's freaking huge sounding. Favorite part: "Only rapper to rewrite history without a pen" > "First singer to rewrite history that can't sing."

Anonymous Anonymous

#5 – 5:49 AM June 18, 2009

#1.... agreed.

Anonymous Anonymous

#6 – 6:56 AM June 18, 2009

what a pile of sheeite

matt Valerio

#7 – 7:13 AM June 18, 2009

wallpaper is from the bay area, not new york.

matrick

#8 – 7:45 AM June 18, 2009

Seriously? This wallpaper guy is making fun of someone who actually uses his OWN voice? Say what will about rap and Jay-Z in particular (I really don't care either way), but at least he isn't lazy. If you're using Auto-Tune for any reason other than to make your voice sound like a robot, you're a lazy-ass douche.

nnguyen

#9 – 8:13 AM June 18, 2009

clever? yes. good? no.

Aurich

#10 – 8:21 AM June 18, 2009

Cute as a concept, not super successful beyond that. The problem is that autotune doesn't work particularly well on more pure spoken word, you just get the warble/underwater sound on the vocals. Jay Z doesn't introduce enough melody into his phrasing for the plugin to catch and manipulate.

Compare to the Katie Couric bit ("very thin ice") in the Autotune the News. Even though she's speaking, she has a very careful melodic speaking voice, and there's really something there for it to lock in on.

Love or hate autotune, it's just a tool, and your results will vary by how you use it. Even in an ironic application you still need to feed it the right kind of data.

@O_M - Saying that Jay Z lacks talent is just haterism. Say you don't care for it, don't be foolish.

Anonymous Anonymous

#11 – 9:55 AM June 18, 2009

It would be more clever if EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT HEARD THE SONG didn't have the same exact idea when listening to the song for the first time. Way to be unique guys!

EAST BAY REP

#12 – 10:17 AM June 18, 2009

Wallpaper isn't from NEW YORK! They're from THE TOWN--OAKLAND YA'LL!!

Steven Leckart

#13 – 11:18 AM June 18, 2009

Oakland. Got it. Thanks, everyone.

merreborn

#14 – 1:48 PM June 18, 2009

Oh my. This is absolutely delightful:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyfc10qDcR4

someone

#15 – 2:20 PM June 18, 2009

the new auto-tune let's you plugin a keyboard so you can create a melody for the monotone speaking voice to lock onto. i'm guessing that's how the katie couric thing was done. the melody is developed too well to be just automatic mode

Jason Burns

#16 – 2:38 PM June 18, 2009

Everyone talking trash about auto-tune, think about one fact. 99% of the music using it, you can't tell they are using it. Taking 4 good takes and comping them, then using auto-tune to make "slight" intonation adjustments is the norm, the over-use is bad, but the tool is not. I guarantee that you rock out to auto-tuned music all the time.

hubs

#17 – 7:08 PM June 18, 2009

At least JayZ ain't no crybaby: http://www.artifacting.com/blog/2009/05/05/crying-over-auto-tune-part-ii/

donna

#18 – 12:16 AM June 19, 2009

Wallpaper isn't from NEW YORK! They're from THE TOWN--OAKLAND YA'LL!!.

javitrino

#19 – 3:55 AM June 19, 2009

well, for a change, jay-z has got a point. it's a fact that, mostly in commercial mainstream music, autotune has been abused. we've all witnessed many cases of musical employees (can't call them artists honestly) showing off in playback tracks they couldn't perform live corrrectly because they're not fit for it, yet being this an important aspect of the "real" musician / performer job.

however, it seems very contradictory a statement, coming from someone so inmerse in those mainstream circuits. and, nevertheless, it's fairly understandable he could be slightly upset with this climate going on, all that untallented employees falling into producers hands, packed as products, not making music in the most direct sense anymore.

of course, it's not autotune itself, which has been proven useful in many occasions (see jason burns post above for instance), but the abuse of tools to act like fools. and it's understandable. beyond the phobia of technological advances, it might be an awareness of the obvious dumbness of mainstream music nowadays. listeners could use a break from autotune eventually, it's been misused and our ears are paying the price.

John

#20 – 5:07 AM June 19, 2009

Clever? Ironic? I saw this shit comin a mile away. Oh well, at least it'll keep em off those dreadful Radiohead mashups for awhile.

Dohc-

#21 – 11:14 AM June 19, 2009

For once, I actually agree with Jay-Z. Hearing his song brought a smile to my face, and I felt that redemption was finally coming in response to the 'TALENT' of 'MUSICIANS' like T-Pain. It is a neat effect to use more as an instrument, but artists that are using this can't sing otherwise. I'm tired of musical trends like this! Work at actually being able to sing!!

Jigga man

#22 – 2:26 AM June 21, 2009

Was this mixed on a Fostex 4-Track on a 12 year old cassette found in the back of a school bus?

Anonymous Anonymous

#23 – 10:08 PM June 29, 2009

Yeah...well be it as it may....Me being an Ohio native where it originated...look at it as a tribute to zapp and roger...And how many artist make music 4 the actual art of it anymore...a low percentage....As long as people listen its gon b n rotation...its all about the money right?...A hit is a Hit....look at pop champagne..probably the worst...Also I look at it as a hustle tool...u dnt wanna pay a singer or cant sing...use autotune...It brings light on this "futuristic" everybody talk'n bout...But thats jus me...