Jay-Z Talks About Performing Auto-Tune Song with T-Pain on Stage

When he released his newest hot track, “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)”, Jay-Z wasn’t sure how rapper, T-Pain would feel about his lyrics considering he uses his name in the song. Jay says that if T-Pain had been insulted by the track, that he would have been “cool” with it.

He said, "If T-Pain got to feel a little brunt behind that, then I’m cool with that. I’m all about the culture. It’s bigger than the politics. If T-Pain felt like he wanted to never talk to me again, I would have been cool with that."

T-Pain appeared to feel the opposite of insulted. During the 2009 Summer Jam in which Jay-Z got up on stage to perform the song, T-Pain was up on stage with him as a show of support.

This came as a total surprise to Jay-Z who says he had no idea that T-Pain would jump on stage. "That was crazy, ’cause I didn’t know where he came from. I remember the concert T.I. had, and 50 Cent went onstage. That wasn’t planned — same thing! I look, and I see somebody to my right, and I swear I thought it was a fan coming up to me to hug me. ‘Cause I didn’t see who it was. I thought it was some cool, rock-star stuff. And then I saw him move again, and I looked back. I guess [T-Pain] wanted to get close to me."

Though the gesture by T-Pain was fun and exciting, Jay says that it was slightly weird, "It was a little awkward, but it was cool. He didn’t mean any harm. He’s just embracing the record. You shouldn’t be confused by the message. I’m not saying Auto-Tune is wack. But leave that for them [T-Pain, Lil Wayne and Kanye West, the artists Jay said used it artistically]; it’s not for everybody. That’s how you stagnate hip-hop. You listen to the radio, and every single has Auto-Tune. So we have to get rid of that part."

Huh. Well, it’s nice that T-Pain can really embrace it like that because really Jay’s defending them and trying to others from going auto-tune crazy. Seriously, the radio could use a little less auto-tune.

Image: Bauer-Griffin