Music Blogs

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

101. Michael M -
Howard Stern is a tool.

People are so dense to say Beyonce is "not all that". Find me someone who is "all that" then.

Give me a break.

102. Shawn B. -
God, if ya'll can't tell that's fake you gotta be an idiot! I mean that's way over the top. Beyonce still sounds ok even on an off day....but she ain't up there with Mariah or Whitney in her hey day.

103. OndreaG -
Fake Or Not....This Is Hilarious!!!!!!

104. captain -
pitch correction software sure is easy to use... and it made some project studio engineer catch his 10 min of fame. Why didn't I think of that first?

105. Crystal -
ok people this ones not rocket science, there are digital vocal modulators that change the pitch of lead vocals and obviously someone thought it would be funny to make Beyonce' sound off pitch, WAY OFF!!!!

and by the way, thanks Ashley Williams for the marketing idea.....http://www.music.blackplanet.com/krystalklear
check out a REAL singer who is also a multi-musician songwriter, NO EFFECTS just raw vocals :)

106. Erin -
Yeah. The live version of her with the video is way better, sounds like her. The other one just the sound bit is soooo bad.

107. Yahoo! Music User -
get real people i have heard bey sing live at a concert this girl has more talent than any singer out there face and stop hating go seek the ones who really can not sing(miley cyrus for example

108. sand -
howard is the man

109. The Truth About H -
Beyonce and her father ARE SO FAKE!

HER FATHER KNEW THAT THEY SUPPLIED VOCAL TAPES AT THE OBAMA'S INAGURATION AND AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD DANCE!

IT'S PUZZLING THAT HE USED THIS AS AN EXAMPLES. THEY ARE AN ARTICLE THAN COME OUT WHICH REVEALED THAT IT WAS TOO COLD FOR ANYONE TO PERFORM DOWN ON THE MALL. THAT'S WHY EVERYONE SUPPLIED A TAPE (INCLUDING BEYONCE).

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/22/famed-quartet-played-recordings-tunes-inauguration/

110. sam -
well first off drmorticiasam the word your looking for is FALL not fail and Trisha L you can't spell either the word is SEXIER beyonce could sing better than you any day whether shes lip synchs or not so get over yourselves

111. sam -
well first off drmorticiasam the word your looking for is FALL not fail and Trisha L you can't spell either the word is SEXIER beyonce could sing better than you any day whether shes lip synchs or not so get over yourselves

112. LA baby -
she was not the lead singer of a group at 16 because she could sing. she was the lead singer in a group because her father made her lead singer of a group. She is attractive enough with a million nose jobs, tons of makeup and Lord knows how many other plastic surgeries, lighting, etc. That's one reason she gained fame. she stays there through bullying.

113. SaraTT -
OOooooo come on this is funny. If Beyonce was singing for only couple of mounts you can say that..... so i would think about it. But heyyy she is singing many years we know her and this is just a f.... joke . Hey you dude, don't you have smarter job to do.

114. sand -
howard is the man

115. The Truth About H -
MATTHEW IS A LIAR!

HE SUPPLIED TAPES DURING HER PERFORMANCE ON THE MALL! HERE'S PROOF:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/22/famed-quartet-played-recordings-tunes-inauguration/

116. Mama2 -
Howard Stern needs listeners,thats why..this is one good reason you dont buy pirated CDs or Dvds and download for free.

117. DRislegend -
alicia's better but i like both

118. dreamer -
Will the true fans if you really are please help her with her hair!!!! she is too beautiful to have her hair like that .. Roots! is a movie and book not a hair style!!!

119. sand -
howard rules

120. lacretia -
ANYONE ON HEAR DISSIN B IS BEYOND CRAZY. HAVE YOU NO EARDRUMS! SHE HAS BEEN RUNNIN THIS GAME FOR OVER A DECADE AND WITH REASON. PRODUCTION, GOOD BODY, WHAT THE F EVA! SHE HAS IT GOING ON AND THAT ISN'T GONNA CHANGE. THE TAPE IS EDITED AND IT ISN'T EVEN THAT BAD! AND CRANK RECORDS YOU JUST A HATA B/C IF YOU EVER MADE ANY KIND OF $ I'M ALMOST CERTAIN YOU WOULD GO LOOKIN' FOR PAIN. ALL YALL HATAS STACK SOME PAPER AND STOP WISHIN'!!!!!!!!!!!!
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