“If I would have listened to Scott Storch, Snoop, Bone Crusher, or the many artists that came before me — if I would have listened to them people, I would not be where I am today, I swear,” T-Pain shared in a resurfacing video.
The autotune crooning artist has been the subject of many conversations lately when he revealed that R&B artist Usher expressed his disapproval of T-Pain’s use of autotune back in the heyday. The revelation caused T-Pain to go into a depression as he doubted his value in the industry. Years later, T-Pain has made an imprint in music and now, the social media world sharing his past experiences in the music industry.
When he first started, being the wet behind the ears, starry-eyed optimist, T-Pain sought out advice from his fellow peers on what was hot and what songs to release and for the most part his peers were…haters (Ok, not all of them, some were just actually projecting their own fears).
“Scott Storch told me to not use the 808s that I use still to this day,” T-Pain said. “That’s the same 808s I used on Kanye’s 808s and Heartbreaks, which made a monumental album.”
West Coast legend Snoop Dogg, who is heavily influenced by funk music from the likes of autotune auteurs Parliament to Zapp and Roger, even doubted T-Pain’s use of autotune saying it was a “gimmick and only going to last for one or two singles.” Scott Storch and Snoop Dogg are nothing to f–k with. These two music moguls have made a name in a competitive industry and blazed a trail for others to follow, yet even these heavyweights were not able to see T-Pain’s vision. T-Pain’s resolve?
“Do what you like, bro,” T-Pain continued. “That’s my advice. Stop asking people for advice and do what you like. If you like it, it’s good.”
The poignant advice can be applied across the board, to a person with a 9 to 5 job or the local entrepreneur. He referenced a moment when director Quentin Tarantino was asked who he makes movies for, in which Tarantino responded, “I don’t make my movies for anybody. I make my movies for myself and I pray to God for the studio’s sake that somebody out there is as crazy as me and they like the same s–t as me. That’s it.”
Watch the video below:
