Earlier tonight the rapper (he’s a lot more than a rapper) Jay-Z set Twitter ablaze with the release of a very raw & perfectly imperfect track called “Death of Autotune“. Taking up 4 of the top 10 Twitter trends and making folk across the world scurry to wonder if Jay-Z had been shot or something, the track was such big news not because it was slick, not because it was Jay’s best lyrical performance ever, and not because it featured any surprise guest vocalists, but it was (and is) so HUGE for the exact opposite reasons.
Released Friday night on Hot 97 in New York by Funkmaster Flex, the track criticizes the complete overuse of the widely available vocal altering by the tool Autotune. Made particularly famous by T-Pain (as well as Lil Wayne & Kanye), it’s hard to hear a rap track today without someone Autotuning a voice. While the track is going to be perceived as a diss to all three of those guys (and it may very well be a diss to them…but I doubt it), I am squeezing some other value out of the track for myself. Let me squeeze some pastoral lemonade out of Jay-Z’s lemons.
Fads, gimmicks, and cheap tricks may give you a momentary boost when you are in a crunch, but if you (and virtually everyone else in your profession) begin to build your career on a fad, you are not only setting yourself up for failure, but you are lowering the standards of what it means to be a success in your area of expertise.
T-Pain, the King of Autotune, is actually a very gifted singer without the vocal aid of computer software. He is an amazing producer and works long days and nights to perfect his craft. The curse of being T-Pain is that you make hard stuff look easy and when other people saw the success he was having, folk started copying him in droves. Flattering? Yes. The problem is, though, that most of them aren’t that talented, aren’t putting in the long hours that T-Pain is, and they ultimately cheapen hip hop in the process of riding on someone elses coattails!
Pastoral Application: Don’t rely on gimmicks and fads in your preaching. Use a prop here and there. Show a video every now and then. Buy a cool shirt and wear it (I have a few). But you can’t beat LifeChurch.tv at being LifeChurch.tv or Steven Furtick at being Steven Furtick. God has shaped them and called them to a unique ministry and you are going to have to find your own voice and burn the midnight oil preparing and doing the work God has called you to.
In the Death of Autotune, Jay-Z expresses that he feels like hip-hop has gone soft and glitzy and forgotten the fundamentals…let’s not let that be the case in what God has called us to do!
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
That was a very insightful take on this song. Quite contemplative. I agree that we (the church, pastors, ministry leaders) rely on too many "gimmicks" to relay the message of Christ. I believe that the ends (leading people to Christ) do justify whatever means we can take. However, so many people are desiring authenticity as it relates to the discovery of and growing in Christ and that's exactly what we have to give them. Whatever it takes for you and me to be authentic to our calling and our gifting…that's what we do. To God be the glory! Awesome bro!
great thoughts. I think that gimmicks are only gimmicks when they are the product of copy-cat imitation. I am not one that believes means that are other than "traditional" ones are gimmicks… preaching, songs, lights, video, or whatever other expression is not bad in and of itself. What IS wrong is if that expression is not uniquely given to you/church from God for your means at that moment and for that particular purpose. That is when it feels like a gimmick because we are seeing a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy and at that point it's pretty played and not God authentic at all.
I'm feeling this, Shaun. I don't think Jay-Z was dissing the artist he mentions in the song (he actually praises them in his interview about the song here), but I appreciate the point you make about not using gimmicks in preaching.
One of my favorite preachers refers to the light show and theatrics on stage as "Six Flags over Jesus." He talks about how preachers in this country often get caught up with the wealthy lifestyle that surrounds a "successful" ministry, whereas a lot of preachers in third-world countries are content to plant churches, live below their means, and know nothing other than the gospel of Christ. Interesting contrast.
Jesus used gimmicks…
oh wait.
no he didn't.
when we use gimmicks to "lure" people, we lure them to the wrong thing.
nice post, was just thinking about this new track and the finer details of "the roc". the great thing about this post shaun, is that it is you….. no one else….. because you recognize the fact there is no on the planet with you DNA… enjoy it. :: selah ::
nice post. I am encouraged by your ministry and your faithfulness to the kingdom. I will be praying for you and the Courageous Church gamily.