Before I write this piece, I want to give a shout-out to the late Roger “Zapp” Troutman, who used the talkbox – a device that modulates a sound with a singer’s voice through guitars or synthesizers. The talkbox is not used widely anymore, but the way Zapp utilized the device in his electro-funk grooves proved to be impactful to a new era of musicians. Most importantly, Hip Hop had taken the template of its effects, adapting it to a newer, convenient tool: Auto-Tune.
Originally released in 1997, it was a digital audio software tool used to correct the pitch of vocals and instruments. This tool was very prominent among different genres such as Pop, Electronic, Alternative, and Dance. Cher popularized its usage in her 1998 song, “Believe” – dubbing it the “Cher-effect”. However, it was not until the rise of melodic Hip Hop Atlien artist, T-Pain, that the auto-tune became such a hot commodity. Everybody from Kanye West to Lil Wayne started incorporating either T-Pain or the tool for their own songs. “Heartless” and “Lollipop” are well known examples of the power of Auto-Tune. A snapshot of the Late 2000s – early 2010s era of Urban Contemporary music.
The digital plug-in was so inescapable. To the public, it brought either disdain or praise for its effect on songs. Especially for its tendency to correct off-key, awful vocals – it has often been deemed as a sign of bad talent. Throughout the years, critics have deemed the tool as a fad, but for some unbeknownst reason, the popularity of the tool has not faded. Instead, it continued to be a force in the modern music landscape.
Another Atlanta artist, FUTURE, began using the tool to express emotion and depth. It is through his distorted, mumbled vocals, which began to solidify in 2014’s “Monster,” that the Hip Hop landscape came to re-embrace the tool. Other artists such as Young Thug, Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, Gunna, and Lil Baby have either helped or followed this practice method in unique, different ways.
After reading all this, there should be a pattern on why Auto-Tune is so popular. Could it be that it is convenient? Maybe. But one thing that keeps this plug-in tool so popular, is that it has proven to be such a creative asset to the music process. Sure, most of the rappers who use it can’t sing worth a dime but albums such as Travis Scott’s “Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight” (2016), Future’s “56 Nights” (2015), and Young Thug’s “Slime Season” Trilogy (2015-2016) have the template for another generation of artists to continue that auto-tone baton. Not only because it sounds cool, but due to the fact that these aforementioned artists have shown that auto-tune can be used in an artistic way.
Jay-Z can declare the death of auto-tune all he wants, but it’s clear that a wave of artists such as YEAT, Destroy Lonely, ThirteenDegrees, Lil Tecca, and others are continuing this usage. The matter of fact is that the auto-tune has shown it is not a fad, it’s a tool that Hip Hop has shown can be used to its artistic potential. A feat that no other genre has been able to handle or execute successfully.
