A few weeks ago, Jay-Z released the song “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune),” much to the delight of some corners of the Internet. It’s basically a song that rails against the proliferation of Auto-Tune, software that can alter/correct the pitch of someone’s voice. Its most notorious use is to make the singer sound like a robot, thus hiding their inability to sing at all. It’s huge in hip-hop, for whatever reason.
And while you’d think Jay-Z’s song would be bad for business, well, it’s just not. The company that produces the software, Antares Audio Technologies, wouldn’t get into hard numbers, but acknowledged that it has seen a “boost in business” in the weeks after the song’s release.
Here’s my problem: the song is produced by Kanye West, who, let’s face it, has ridden Auto-Tune for all it was worth. (Have you heard “Love Lockdown”? It’s Auto-Tuned to the nines.) It’d be like Barry Bonds railing against the evil of steroids.
Yet here’s Jay-Z self-righteously proclaiming the “death” of something that’s already lined to pockets of so many of his partners. How convenient.
And to quote someone from What.cd, “[Death of Auto-Tune,] And apparently the re-birth of cheesy guitar riffs?”
In conclusion: Jay-Z, rubbish hypocrite. (Nas was always better, by the way.)