
Source: Getty Images / Getty
After a lengthy — and we do mean lengthy — delay, Kanye West‘s new album “Jesus Is King” has finally dropped.
The project was initially supposed to drop nearly a month ago and during this time, early previews of the music already had people worried. One track in particular was previewed and it featured the lines, “Closed on Sunday, you my Chick-fil-A.” In early October, it wasn’t well received and now that the song “Closed on Sunday” is out, the line still isn’t holding up well with audiences.
Another song that has people puzzled is “Hands On”, which features the gospel legend Fred Hammond. Towards the end of the song, Hammond gives his signature crisp vocals. However, some people suggested that the vocals were so crisp that they were manipulated using autotune.
One line has Hammond singing, “Yes, I understand your reluctancy, yeah/ But I have a request, you see/ Don’t throw me up, lay your hands on me/ Please, pray for me.” While the harmonies come out great, it definitely sounds like autotune was used. Check out the song for yourself below.
Some folks immediately wondered why the producers of the song would try to autotune a voice that’s already celebrated.
Then there were those select few who thought an autotune Fred Hammond was the way of the future.
It’s no surprise that Kanye would have Hammond on the track, considering the overall spiritual and religious nature of the album. In a recent interview with Zane Lowe, Kanye explained:
“Now I’m letting you know what Jesus has done for me,” he said. “I’m no longer a slave. I’m a son, now, a son of God. I’m thinking of something I wanna say out loud — Christian innovator. When you’re thinking about the church—because it has to stand on the word so hard — it loves to be extra traditional to the point of blocking innovation.”
It seems a supposedly autotuned Fred Hammond might be apart of the innovation West was talking about.
Along with striving for new ideas, West also explained how his views on culture has changed. “I thought I was the God of culture but really culture was my God . . .What is a culture today? What are some of the major things that it includes and all of the major points of what might make the culture? Taking a knee at a football game, wearing expensive clothes, rapping about—just rap, period—making money from rap, making money from basketball, buying jewelry.” he said. “To be down with or part of the culture, you have to use social media. None of these things that you need to be involved in order to be down with the culture are owned by Black people. So who designed the culture?”
Questions that might need answers. But until then check out all the questions and reactions people have for Fred Hammond’s alleged autotune below.
1.
2.
Not rocking with Fred Hammond on the autotune
— Corey (@cmclast_) October 25, 2019
3.
Never in my life thought I'd hear Fred Hammond in Auto-Tune lol 🔥
— דומיניק (@Domo3k) October 25, 2019
4.
It took a long time to get me to this point, but what in the entire fuck did Kanye just do? This is bad for gospel music. Nigga you messed up a Fred Hammond feature. You let Snoop make a better gospel album than you.
— GOALS is streaming on errthing (@ezewriter) October 25, 2019
🤦🏿♂️ pic.twitter.com/4g52vSriOn
5.
when you hear Fred Hammond on the new Kanye album pic.twitter.com/SWrNXIQJGp
— 🎲 Matt '𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛' Laskodi 🎲 (@MattLaskodi) October 25, 2019
6.
That boy Kanye has Fred Hammond on his album... Using auto-tune! 🤣 The song is actually decent though. 😁🤞🏽 #JesusIsKing @kanyewest #FredHammond #KanyeWest #Ye pic.twitter.com/7DOmzWf24z
— Alexis N'tae Mabry (@MsMabry08) October 25, 2019
7.
How do you blow a Fred Hammond feature?! 🥺
— YC (@WHYC_) October 25, 2019
8.
Do y’all realize Ye made Fred Hammond sound cool as heck on autotune?😭😭🔥
— #RoadToMessiah (@tallass_nico04) October 25, 2019
9.
Kanye really wasted a Fred Hammond feature. This might be the top 2 most disappointing song on the album. He should've gave Fred half the song and no effects. #JesusIsKing
— Naturally Dope👩🏾🌾👚🍃🌾🤱🏾 (@JayeRell) October 25, 2019