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

141. janaib -
wth; drmorticiasam; yu sound foolish ! How the hell is she lippinq when when she sinqs the sonq live she adds a twist on it ? If yu qo to any instrumental it still have vocals on it ! Go look at some of her performances; then rethink thinqss ! =]

142. jazzbooksfood -
Reading all these posts is pretty much proof-positive that English is not the primary language of the United States.

Just so you all know, BTW: criticizing an artist doesn't make one a "hater", but I'm sure that all the "pretty fly for a white guy" types posting here won't understand the difference.

143. yolanda -
mann thiz sooooooooooooooooooooooooo stupid leave beyonce alone these are soo jealous of her voice

144. AlbertE -
You know her Dad paid of some computer nerd to take the hit and say that he altered her voice, when in reality her voice sounds like crap and is altered, but to sound good just Spears, all they are, are media created stars because there parents slept with enough people in the business to get them a record deal, she is nothing but a spoiled brat who is finally being outed for her true self, a no talent spoiled brat, who cries because other people in her group have more talent than her, so her dad fires them until they have two girls that will do nothing but be her and her dads puppets

145. shogun -
she aint all that any way.

146. will t -
how could you even think that was real? i mean im no fan of the woman, she has real personality issues and i dont find her attractive at all, but this sounds completely edited and someone with decades of audio experience like Howard should have easily realized this.

147. CarmenC -
Thats sounds fake!

148. BatRob! -
Too Bad Beyonce STOLE this song from an artist named BC JEAN, just like she has stolen three other songs.

Sad that Beyonce does this, but it is common knowledge in the music business that Beyonce is nothing but a talented THIEF.

Do some research! you'll be shocked.

149. Alexis -
Beyonce is a good actress,but she should leave singing to the professionals.
I personally think that the only good song she sang was "Put A Ring On It"
Other than that is just bad

150. Jason -
Everyone that is saying negative things about Beyonce- are just jealous losers who do not have a life and only wish they had talent on that level- she is not only a great singer she is a super star period. Your all haters with no talent and no life- you only wish you could have 1 day in her shoes.

151. Yahoo! Music User -
Yaaawn.....ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

152. Yahoo! Music User -
And she is the worst actress I have ever seen. I AM going to watch that dumb movie she's in w/ Idris Elba though, one day; for laughs!!! I saw the billboard; she looks so stupid. She's doing a Beyonce pose. She is never in character. She is her egotistical, shallow, unintelligent, look-at-me self in every role.

153. me myself and I -
its too funny cause it is so altered and i think that its a much better rendition of some of the american idol stars hahahaha

154. What were we just talking bout? -
you mean all her solo albums have been hoaxes?

155. jessica -
Just because she fell at a show dose not mean a damn thing!! do you know most of your r&b artist do lip synic at there shows but its there voice you here.they get winded from dancing thats why they lip synic its a performence to entertain stupid people like you.

156. Milton -
She is certaintly a blessed young lady

157. Yahoo! Music User -
how could anyone even think that was real....you can hear her voice artificially modulate between notes. And why do we hear the dogma of "be whatever you want to be" and "follow your dreams" and other cliche pearls of wisdom about the American Dream, but at the same time tear down the peoplewho strive for those goals.

The word of the day boys and girls is "hypocrisy". Can you say "hypocrisy"? I knew you could...

158. Barak -
Hey plum! Howard Stern isn't a broadcaster. He is a talk show host. How about a clue plum?

159. emiltrees -
To all the lames who criticize her, she is on top and you are on the bottom. Enough said.

160. penwin -
Oh, for heaven's sake, it's obvious that this was a hoax. The music and background vocals were all distorted. Beyonce has been singing beautifully for years.
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