T-Pain Says Usher Told Him: "You Really F*cked Up Music"

T-Pain says he fell into a four-year depression after Usher's comments.

BYAron A.
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CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

T-Pain, in many ways, revolutionized the sound of pop music as we know it but his start in the music industry wasn't easy. It was his use of auto-tune, specifically, that left a bad taste in the mouth of both rappers and singers. Jay-Z would go on to release "D.O.A." which clearly didn't put an end to its use in hip-hop.

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In a newly released clip from Netflix's This Is Pop, T-Pain recalled a conversation with Usher who confronted him on an airplane in 2013 on claims that he "fucked up music." He explained that he was asleep on the flight to the BET Awards and was woken up by a flight attendant who told T-Pain that Usher wanted to speak with him. 

Pain explained that what started as small talk eventually grew into Usher blaming him for the state of music. "I didn't understand. Usher was my friend. He was like, 'You really, like, fucked up music for real singers,'" Pain recalls in the clip. 

He continued, "Literally, at that point, I couldn't listen. Is he right? Did I fuck up music? And that is the very moment -- and I don't think I realized this for a long time. That's the very moment that started a four-year depression for me."

Check the clip out below & read, "Auto-Tune In Hip-Hop: A Brief History From T-Pain To Future.

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About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.