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Beyonce Amazed By Hacked Vocals Prank

Posted Fri 24 Apr 2009 4:47AM NZST by Billy Johnson, Jr. in Hip-Hop Media Training

I never run out of Beyonce jokes. But I honestly never have anything bad to say about her singing. I think she has one of the nicest voices in pop music today.


Yes, she over sings a lot, just like Mariah, Christina and Whitney.  Well, Whitney, before all the...you know.

But Beyonce is a legitimate talent.

So when I heard about the Howard Stern segment Tuesday that suggested that Beyonce's unedited vocals from a Today Show performance last November sounded like garbage, I was suspicious.

When listening to the clip of Beyonce singing "If I Were A Boy," I heard cracked notes and other examples of vocal struggling that sounded embarrassing. But the track also felt digitally altered, and I'm not talking about good Auto-Tune, if there is such a thing.

Wednesday, E! News revealed that the entire story was a hoax and even found the person who edited the track to sound as if Beyonce could not sing.

A sourced named Matt from an upstart blog admitted that the Beyonce vocals were a joke. "Yes I created them, and they are fake," he told E! News.

Thursday, Beyonce also confirmed the scam to Today Show host Matt Lauer.

"It's so amazing that someone in their home can do a little prank and it can end up on these major radio stations," Beyonce told Lauer.

She added that she had not heard the track but was surprised by the attention it has caused. "How could you believe that? I heard it was really over the top."

While Beyonce laughed about the ordeal, Matthew Knowles, her manager and father, was furious. When TMZ contacted him about the incident he replied in a fiery statement.  

The gossip blog described Papa Knowles' statement as the best they have ever seen and I agree. Knowles called an idiot anyone who ever doubted his daughter's singing ability.

"If no one took the time to look at the biggest inauguration in the history of America then shame on them," Knowles quipped to TMZ.

"If no one took the time to listen to Beyonce sing 'America The Beautiful' and 'At Last' at the Neighborhood Ball for the first dance of President Obama and the First Lady, and they question Beyonce's vocal ability, they've gotta be an idiot,'" Knowles added.

"That would be like questioning if Kobe Bryant could shoot a jump shot. The vocals were obviously altered."

While there are other examples that Knowles could have used to illustrate his daughter's skills, I'm glad he used this one.

I haven't heard it mentioned since Etta James wigged out about Beyonce singing her song. Now, I just need to get Etta James' number so that I can call her and get her all riled up again. LOL.

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1377 Comments

1. NYY -
Definatley altered, you can tell because the guitar doesn't even sound like a guitar, but a bad 1980's casio keyboard

2. MelanieH -
YALL BETTER LEAVE MY GIRL ALONE
SHE CAN SING BETTER THEN ANYONE THATS IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS

3. Jason D -
When your at the top, they try to kick ya down.

4. jones86 -
This is so fake. drnirtucuasam use fail right! So you say she cant sing you cant use the right words!

5. Leo H -
DARE YOU..! put Beyonce next to the likes of Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, and Whitney Houston..!!! these woman have pipes that can blow your mind.... Benyonce's voice compare to this woman is just a little whisper....!!!!

6. Trisha L -
I can't beleive how rich these people are!! I can sing better than that and my outfit would be much sexer!! LOL

7. Brian -
Hey Billy Johnson. I didn't know you were Beyonce's physician?!

Yeah...her spin doctor!

8. Clam Happy -
I think she can sing, but this was her singing over top of a track, without her mic being live, so she couldn't hear herself, and was just trying to be a convincing lip syncer. It's embarrassing, and her people are trying to cover for her.

9. jt -
First........wait, crap!

10. Mindy Lou Who -
Like anyone could convince me that Beyonce can't sing! What is wrong with people? People are so obvious! She has one of the best voices of this century....bar NONE and EVERYONE knows it unless of course you are Simon Crowell but he hates all people who aren't him ( and probably himself truth be told) ao they can try to dis BK but WE know the truth!!!

11. Dudeman -
it's sad the old ladies of soul like Etta and Aretha show such lack of class being jealous of her...but i guess their age is a good excuse.

12. NaureenA -
What I find hilarious is that people are honestly thinking that this recording is that bad. It's not as bad as Katy Perry in real life or even some other sings like Lady GaGa. Maybe you should go hear some live/ acoustic music from them.

Beyonce has vocals, even if they are edited, they have a great basis on to which editing doesn't change them but makes them better.

Plus there's really not that many singers in America that are truly talented...

13. Crank Records -
shes not a great singer anyways.... just has great ideas and great production.

people dont care about quality of voice.... just good beats...

LOOK AT THAT MORON T-PAIN!!!

top seller of ringtones and the whole 9 yards. HE SUX as a singer yet made it big....

its about finding the market and great production

14. Yahoo! Music User -
her voice isn't all that anyway. of this was a hoax but it was funny as hell..btw she does screech when she attempts to hit those high notes..do us a favor bey, stick to the bumblegum pop songs and leave the grown folks ballads to the true divas like MaryJ & JHud.

15. plum -
I invented singing Robin...hoo hoo .....

Howard stern? how about a relevant broadcaster.

16. Steven -
Sorry Beyone is not even remotely near the voices of Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, or Whitney Houston.

Beyonce is a boring pop singer with very little talent who sings the same song over and over again.

17. EM -
I don't see how anyone could really fall for that. You'd have to be an idiot like her father said. If she can't do anything else *cough*act*cough*, her vocal ability is undeniable.

18. Matt -
she got caught and thats all there is to it.

19. Rowdygirl -
If she was as good a singer as she and her pappy are saying she is, she wouldn't have to act like a stripper in all her videos. Real talent wouldn't require you use your a** to sell records. She's always saying she's a "real artist" and an "icon"... so start acting like one and keep your boobs & your butt covered and act like you're got some sense.

20. JD -
It's so amazing that someone in thier home can do a little prank and it can end up on these major radio stations," Beyonce told Lauer.

It's amazing that the person who wrote this article can't spell THEIR. Can you say...spellcheck?
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