Jay-Z Calls For "Death Of Auto-Tune" With "Blueprint 3" Cut

When Kanye West said there would be no Auto-Tune on Jay-Z's upcoming Blueprint 3, he meant it emphatically: The first single off Jigga's third Blueprint, fittingly called "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)," debuted June 5th on New York hip-hop station Hot 97. The No I.D.-produced song, which samples heavily Janko Nilovic and Dave Sucky's "In the Space," takes aim at the ringtone-happy state of rap while also calling for a cease-and-desist to all artists using the voice manipulating Auto-Tune. Ironically enough, Kanye himself is one of the most notorious users of the technology, as evidenced by his 808s & Heartbreak.

The premiere of "D.O.A." was the culmination of weeks of rumors surrounding Jay-Z, as the rapper was reportedly considering record label suitors to distribute his Blueprint 3 after buying out his Island Def Jam contract. While there's been no confirmation, Jay-Z — who was seeking a distributor for both TB3 and the output released through his Roc Nation label with Live Nation — will distribute 3 through Atlantic Records, while his Roc Nation artists will be distributed through a deal with Sony Music, MTV reports. The Blueprint 3 will reportedly be released on September 11th, exactly eight years after the original Blueprint hit stores.

Last night at Hot 97's Summer Jam all-star concert in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Jay-Z made a surprise appearance to perform "D.O.A." with T-Pain, another producer and artist who has had a hand in Auto-Tune's return to prominence. As Jigga says in "D.O.A.," "You rappers singing too much, Get back to rap, you T-Pain-ing too much." Check Nah Right for video of Jay's "D.O.A." at Summer Jam.

Related Stories:

• Kanye West Nixes Auto-Tune on Jay-Z's "Blueprint 3," Talks Book
• Conflicting Reports Claim Jay-Z Close to New Record Deal
• Jay-Z Buys Out Def Jam Contract, "Blueprint 3" Heads to Roc Nation

• 
  MUSIC The Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments
• 
  MOVIES & TV 'Game of Thrones': The Show Vs. the Books
• 
  POLITICS Matt Taibbi: Facebook IPO vs. Shareholders
• 
  VIDEOS Exclusive: Garbage Rip Through 'I Think I'm Paranoid'

Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter