Autotune: death of creativity or the best thing to happen to hip hop?

#1

Hey. First time poster here. Wondering if anyone can help me out.

Just wondering if there are any people out there who agree with Jay-Z and REALLY dislike autotune? Has rap/R&B been ruined by this plugin that can hide all musical sins or do you think it’s the best innovation of the last 20 years? Or are you on the fence?

Autotune turns 20 this October and Insert is keen to hold a panel discussion where the fans + haters hash it out in a debate about the merits of the plugin.
For a sample of the stuff we cover please head to https://weareinsert.com/

Cheers
Alex

#2

How is the use of a new tool in ways it wasn’t supposed to be used the “death of creativity”?
Anyway I think depending on how well it is used it can sound great and sometimes sound very weak.
I stand by the idea that as a tool it’s very relative to how it’s operated.

#3

You don’t have to convince me man I’m a huge fan of autotune! But desperately trying to find someone who disagrees with me for the purpose of the article we want to write

#4

Have you tried contacting Jay-Z?
:laughing::laughing::laughing:

#5

hi, resident 555 crank here. my primary beef with autotune is the long term effect it’s having on musicianship. now, sure, it seems fine, what’s the big deal, right? but over time, it’s only going to have an increasingly insidious and progressively detrimental effect on how artists approach their chosen craft or the way listeners define talent, and so forth. in other words, it lowers the bar and keeps it there. think about all the young people, like 12-15 years old, just now starting to get into music. like, the barrier of entry is so low! the precedent has already been established. “hey! just mumble some unintelligible bullshit into autotune! look mom, I’m a real artist now!”

regarding the actual “sound” of autotune? I’m indifferent. like @n3ptun3 mentioned above, it’s a tool or an effect (or crutch) just like distortion, delay, or whatever else. when overused, yeah, it’s like a little microdeath of creativity if you can’t use it in an interesting or new way.

#6

yeah man with respect it sounds like you’re fishing for content for an article rather than contributing to a dialogue…i’d tell you what i think but concerned that you’d be using this forum to monetize, like, my opinion maaaannnn

#7

maybe tell us more about what said panel is looking to include and what our opinions would add to this panel? iffy about crossing the forum to journalism boundary :sweat_smile:

#8

This is an incredibly regressive complaint that mistakes lowering the barrier for entry to making art with the quality of the art that is produced as a result of easier entry. Lowering and removing barriers for people to produce music (or any other art) is an unequivocally good thing.

#9

I wish I could tell you more on here but it’s for a project we haven’t properly announced yet. I am sorry I asked in this forum for some help how terrible of me… Was just wondering if anyone did have any strong opinions and wanted to talk about it. The idea that we’re these culture vultures that are going to take your opinions in this blog, quote them without asking for permission and monetise them is pretty far fetched for what we’re like tbh.

#10

@b60231 I’m sorry to have agitated you. I think that particular comment suffered from poor word choice on my part. I was trying to describe an eventual scenario where the perception goes from, “I have to try hard to make music because good art requires effort” to “I don’t have to try at all for my music to be liked.”

#11

ehhhh, everything moves in cycles. I think eventually we’re going to get a cultural wave that emphasizes traditional musicianship and skill

#12

Unironically, I think it’s pretty cool that anybody can create art without a huge divide. Even if people use autotune poorly, there are going to be artists that know how to use it as another layer to add depth in their music. The most obvious examples being Bjork, Travis Scott, Kanye West, and Bon Iver.

Overall, I agree that it is lame when its exploited by new artists who are following trends, but that can the times when artists exploited guitar solos and 80s sounding synthesizers. In my opinion, any instrument can be overused, but that doesn’t mean it should be entirely abandoned.

#13

yeah i totally agree with you. i enjoy a bit of the old auto tune if its used constructively and works within the sound, for example gaika has an amazing relationship with auto tune. However, this goes for nearly every over saturated trap song at the minute, the wailing and necessity to sing is really rather grating at the moment. only a few can use it without it being fuckin anxious to listen to

#14

Gaika and Young Thug are both masters of autotune. I knew I forgot to mention them. With autotune, I like how Gaika and Young Thug both know how to sing with or without the effect. They also know on which instrumentals to use it, which is similar to how Kanye used autotune on new wave industrial beats for 808s and Heartbreak, compared to a lot of new artists just putting it on their vocals for any beat they find.

#15

Yeah I don’t think that’ll ever happen, I feel like that is a similar argument ppl who listen to rock make about electronic music. “They’re just pressing buttons on computers they dont even know how to play an instrument”.
It’s a really reactionary view on music tbh

#16

I’m just weary of questions that come with promotional hype n frame a debate into a “hate or love” duality for likes and views. That being said keep husslin’ :wink: I personally hated auto tune when it first became a phenomenon and had you asked me 5 or so years ago I woulda said fuck that shit it’s horrible. But seeing how kids who grew up on 808s and heartbreak have done new things with the sound I’ve grown to love it. Thugger uses it to degrees that really change vocals into harmonies and get all atmospheric in new ways. Bon Ivers stuff is amazing. Waiting for a female vocalist who really takes the auto tune styles to that next level…

#17

Also now I gotta check out Gaika, thanks guys!

#18

like n3ptun3 said, its a tool and i agree with that. with art u cant police and banish certain tools bcuz ppl exploit them in disingenuous ways

this whole concept relates to the question of ethical and conscious identification of what constitutes as an artist. im glad when, say, gaika or a young thug releases receive credentials and praise as the person themselves providing vision. but when i see lists lauding specific untalented rappers and someone like tim hecker or the sort being praised on equal territory i wince

#19

I remember when I was still in primary school and I used to hang out with “real hip-hop connoisseurs”, they used to say the same thing about using “clap” sounds in hip-hop, that the real hip-hop is the one that is only made with snares lol, that was until their fav producer started using claps so now they’re bashing auto-tune even though they know nothing about how powerful it is as a tool and the percentage of modern vocal music that uses it in a bit more precise way. I think of it as an instrument, not even an effect. And it’s a pretty powerful instrument.

And if we’re talking rap, you can’t say every rookie rapper puts it on and it makes them sound better without effort. It’s not singing and therefore it doesn’t make you rap better or worse, it’s just an effect.

#20

I have had the EXACT same arc in terms of how I feel about autotune! If you asked me about Southern rappers using autotune a lot I would have judgementally labelled it ‘landfill hip hop’ that’s knocked out speedily to make a quick buck. Fast forward to now and I listen to so much Juice WRLD/ Playboi Carti/ Travis Scott etc it’s crazy.