Watch T-Pain play "Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')", "Up Down (Do This All Day)" and "Drankin' Patna" at the Tiny Desk.
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T-Pain's fingerprints are all over pop and R&B and hip-hop. He wasn't the first musician to use Auto-Tune as an instrument - he noticed it on a Jennifer Lopez remix, and remembers "Deep" well - but it was, as he says, his style. For a while, in the mid-2000s, he lived at the top of the charts. He dominated that brief moment of our lives when ringtones were a thing. He was celebrated as an innovator, and he happily took his talents where he was invited, which was everywhere.
But somewhere along the way, somebody got it twisted. "People felt like I was using it to sound good," says T-Pain, in an interview that will air on All Things Considered. "But I was just using it to sound different.”
He just turned 30, but T-Pain has already done enough to drop a greatest hits album next week. We asked him if he'd grace the Tiny Desk without any embellishment or effects to show what's really made his career: his voice, and those songs.--FRANNIE KELLEY
SET LIST
"Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')"
"Up Down (Do This All Day)"
"Drankin' Patna"
CREDITS
Producers: Frannie Kelley, Maggie Starbard; Editor: Maggie Starbard; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Colin Marshall, Maggie Starbard; Production Assistant: Susan Hale Thomas; photo by Maggie Starbard/NPR
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fingers crossed!!
why is Quebec excluded? lol
He killed it.
He's working with what he's got at least.
Truth
OMG ITS ANTO FANTO
Haha, awesome, you are here.
IT GOES IT GOES IT GOES IT GOES IT GOES IT GOES IT GOES IT GOES IT GOES IT GOES IT GOES!
He's hella funny too. Auto tune didn't make T-pain famous. T-pain made auto tune famous.
No Cap
Facts
This right here!
Nothing but the truth
Big fax 📠
T-Pain is the only person who could sing about strippers and still make it feel like a love story that is relatable
Facts
😂
I was amazed.
Shawty needed a drink
HAHA....on point
The industry owes him an apology.
I'm sorry, T! I'm so, so sorry!!!!
Real talk
Seriously 😢
YES
This vid still gets me goin 9 years later
Him and that pianist just need to do an entire album.
Junious Alexander I agree!!!
Just like this!! I’d listen to it nightly to help me sleep.
@@michelled.2112 he could call it, T-Pain: Unplugged from Auto-Tune
Big facts!!!!!
Ha! Pianist! Funny word!
The world deserves an acoustic T pain album
I think there is one... Find it
There is .. basically
Facts
His first album has barely any auto tune
I hope T pain sees this.
The NYT article led me here. "T-Pain used his Tiny Desk performance to demolish the idea that he lacked talent, sitting beside a single electric-piano player and singing, beautifully, with no digital adornment. The video of his set went viral, not least among those only just learning that his use of Autotune was artistic flair, not a crutch; it remains one of the most watched of the hundreds of sessions Tiny Desk has produced."
agreed💜
Really DID on his live performance On Top of the Covers!!! OMG!!! MAKES IT BETTER , HE DIDN'T EVEN DO HIS SONGS, ONLY 1!! CHECK IT OUT!!!🔥🔥 THE MIX BADD!!
@@anarahgreen9900thank you for this comment! On top of the covers was awesome 🤯
It's 2023, and this is STILL one of my favorite Tiny Desk performances.❤
This one, usher, Tyler the creator all elite
Tied between him and Mac Miller for me.
Can’t believe this was uploaded NINE years ago
@@AlexQuail Right?!
Sam Smith was another heavy hitter. It's worth the llisten.
T-Pain's music is the embodiment of "I don't know why I'm crying in the club right now."
This comment is a lil to real😂
Mr. CU NT OnGod 😂😂😂
Its like half T-Pain and half Morrissey.
Hell yeah lol
I saw T-Pain at a club in Boston, he sang "Stay With Me" by Sam Smith......literally had me crying in the club
Only T pain could turn a twerk song into an angelic masterpiece
Word
From the 500 th like. Ur speaking facts
lol u crazy hahahaha
He sure can!
i read that as allergic
i love that T pain had no idea what this gig was and was completely unprepared
at the time, tiny desk was not well known like it is today
@@bozooe if they don't send him the biggest gift basket every december....
Huh?
@@natemoretz6910 He didn't know there'd be a live audience.
Who’s here 2024?
At least once a year😂😂
I'm here 😂
Stories about music history have been largely exaggerated.
Welcome back. This isn’t your first time here.
It’s actually my first time but not my last 💕
I regularly pay my respects to the big homie by visiting this video. ✊🏼
I lost count already
You already know
CORRECT!
Brotha pouring his soul into them club anthems, God DAMN
HDCKKC I had to be in the choir back in the day
😂
Sang T pain
😂😂🤣🤣 y'all really cutting up in these comments..here I am all into the song and I come across this comment!!!fse
haha totally
So sad to see people were sleeping on his talent up until this NPR. People didnt understand he was only using auto-tune for aesthetic. I saw him live when he debuted "I'm Sprung" and was blown away. Give this man his flowers 💐💐👏🏾👏🏾!
Yup
He's the truth kids will never know what he did
and Usher sent him into depression over the autotune thing
Yeah, the auto tune was just a tool to make a new sound. Other people then used it to "fix" their voices so everyone assumed he was doing the same.
Amazing.
Just discovered this in 2024. Beautiful voice, a gift to us all.
He sings the national anthem for a dodgers game…UNBELIEVABLE!
I wish I hadn’t heard it just so I could experience it for the first time all over again. Happy for your discovery. Welcome.
“T-pain didn’t need auto tune, the auto tune needed T-pain”
💯💯💯💯
FACTS!!!!!
Is true
felt that lol
bars
Jokes about autotune then busts out the most soulful performance tiny desk has ever seen.
Mac was pretty soulful.
I don't understand why he uses auto tune if he can sing like this.
Adam Hogan because this wasn’t getting out and people didn’t like it, so when he started using auto tune he became more famous
Dave Mahler yea mac def took the cake
Mac is great but not soulful like this. This is what soul is..
So great how after 12 years of tiny desk concerts this is one of the most memorable.
The like if you don't know about this it's because your new to the platform lol
T pain is the most wholesome dude out there man he’s always living it up cheesin like he’s on top of the world I wanna be that someday 😭
Facts. Also note that he went from millionaire to broke to millionaire. This man has lived.
So humble.
He chose the perfect accompaniment. The guy on the keys is truly holding him down this is great. Made me forget i was listening to songs about strippers.
Rashaan Fuller-Wright LOL!!!
😂😂😂
100% correct
The keys made it classy
i wanted him to sing stripper songs tbh
This just makes me want to place dollar bills ever so gingerly and in a respectful way in a stripper's undergarments.
😂😂😂😂😂😂
This comment has me howling alone in my room 😅
sneakdakeeks 🤣🤣🤣😳😳😳🤣🤣🤣😳😳😳😂😂😂
This comment deserves way more likes 🤣😂🤣
Lololol
So talented and gifted, with and without autotune. all his music is good.
Epiphany is nothing but classic hits!
I keep coming back to this one. It’s crazy how good t pain actually sings
I didnt know he could sing like he can until he won the masked singer...
T pain was tired of people saying he couldn’t sing without auto tune but he said y’all gone learn today!
especially when he did the national anthem it was fire
Uhm. He sounds better without auto tune
We found out on the Masked Singer that he's a crooner.
True story: he wasn’t expecting a crowd and thought this was gonna be a bit of an interview type situation with a casual jam. Man’s still absolutely killed it though, this video made me pay way more attention to his music and I’m a fan now
Only fans like us always knew since the beginning ❤️
Holy shit this video gives a whole new image of T-Pain
Yeah it's called Artists in real life without Hollywood filters. It's clean and candid.
SydneyStreets Can't believe everybody said T-Pain was bad without autotune
SydneyStreets
It did for a lot of people! Agreed!
exactly!
This version of "Drinkin' Patna" is one of the most beautiful love songs. I've got this part on rewind. 🥰🥰
Honestly so real
2024 still the greatest Tiny Desk .... Amazing
Living proof that T-Pain only used autotune as an aesthetic choice rather than to cover for his singing ability.
1mil %
yeah he said so in an interview on NPR later. That he wanted to stand out otherwise he'd just be another singer
He’s not the only one either but he was absolutely the first. Him and Cher put autotune on the map
I think you can only use autotune like he did because you know how to sing.
On the show, This is Pop on Netflix he talked about his performance. He said he felt really vulnerable and felt like he was doing a bad job in this performance. That's why he kept looking down and not really looking at the crowd or cameras.
Someone:T-Pain can’t sing T-Pain:Hold my auto tune
Lol
haha
Word. i never liked TPains music during teh auto-tune era but he sounded really good here
🤣 well said
BOOM!!!
2023 and this Tiny desk still one of my favs, thank you T-pain.
I think he needs a part two!
I AGREE!!!
Yes!!!
Have you seen his live concert at The Sun Rose? It's so good 😭
A 3 AND a 4!!!
According to T-Pain on the Gus & Eddy Podcast he had no idea that he was going there to do a concert, he thought it would be a normal interview. Also even afterwards he had no idea it was going to be uploaded lol
I see another boy came here after the podcast to check it out
BOYS BOYS BOYS BOYS
exactly why I came to this video!
Boys boys boys
The boys be here now.
What a beautiful voice
Thank you
Seriously I’ve thought this since I was 14 lol I’m so glad he’s finally getting real props 💜💜💜🤗
The pianist played like 3 different instruments with that one piano.
@@itsgonzalits yes, because thats a keyboard, it can make a lot of differents sounds
@@elgatorock2321 that's not what I meant.
I love him. He’s got a great sense of humor and you can tell he’s a little embarrassed by some of his lyrics especially saying “go on an kiss her bet a stack’ll make her kiss her”. 😅
T pain can truly sing like omg , he needs a soul album or something
I agree 100%; he would be so sucessful!!
I’d definitely buy it
He released a live album recently
No kidding I've watched this well over 20 times. Such a classic
plus T-Pain looks like a really chill dude
his voice makes you come back
me too...
+ChadWithaJ i listen ALLLL THE TIME .
+ChadWithaJ I think I watch this like twice a week. It's just so good.
It's funny how t-pain is known for his auto tune yet he is probably the last person who needs it
t-pain didn’t need auto tune, auto tune needed t-pain
T-Pain used autotune as an artistic decision in his music. He wasn't trying to hide deficiencies in his voice. Like, come on, if that'd really been his intention, then you wouldn't have have even noticed. Modern 'autotune' technology is sophisticated enough to make the voice corrections unnoticeable, and virtually every singer you listen to nowadays use it (not saying that as a diss to modern artists; it's just how it is nowadays). T-Pain CHOSE to make his autotune very obvious because that sound was part of his musical vision. Ragging on T-Pain for autotune is like accusing Daft Punk of being fake for using voice modulators, it makes no sense.
@@CylindricalWhistle I know that dude I was just saying he has a beautiful voice and his fans would appreciate it even without his auto tune. I’m not trying to rag on him
@@gabrielmarshall9132 oh no I wasn't responding to what you said, just to people in general who attack T-Pain for using autotune. You were just making an observation which I agree with
@@CylindricalWhistle i was also agreeing with you lol
Just wanting to say if you’re not following him on Twitch you’re doing yourself a disservice. Watching him go from scratch to create songs is gift. Hop on it.
Thanks for this advice!
“Hop on it”? 😶🍆👀
How did i find this 9 years later? T-Pain is even more dope for doing this especially showing his true natural voice. Well done my guy
never thought buy you a drank would bring tears to my eyes
E
Were you sippin? Cuz that'll do it.
" Right! Whats Really Going On?
Lmao! Best comment ever!
LMAO
T-pain looks and acts like he doesn't even know he's famous 😂
Freeman I think that sometimes the key
Ohh, Oh that's bc he's not.
LMAO I love him
Ryan Hale lol. He's for the culture.
I think because people themselves dont show him enough
his cover on tennessee whiskey brought me back here. love his voice.
Me too
I'm ashamed to say this.. but I did not know T-Pain could freaking SANG like this.. this was amazing and I'm literally blown away. And he seems so funny. Grew up as a kid listening to his music and the infamous auto-tune, but this was so refreshing and the renditions were so freaking nice.
Honestly, me too… I also grew up listening to his music and did not know how his voice was without auto tune. I can’t help but ask myself why on earth he used auto tune in the first place, he obviously doesn’t need it! So talented ❤
@@anaclaracarvalho3343 Right?! Thank you so much for your reply! I literally feel the exact same way! It’s nice to know I wasn’t the only one surprised!
Exact same sentiment! I stumbled across this after watching Tank's recent TD and was blown away by this. Like T pain can sannnggg! How did I not know this 😫...sooo good 🙌🏾🙌🏾
I found out from this several years ago! See him in concert he's amazing!
Agreed!
TPain and his pianist need to make an album
Tpiano.
Please
I agree!
T pain legit one of the nicest coolest dudes in the industry. Never hear nothing bad about the dude, he's always smiling. I wish him many years of success and health cause he brightens up the world like a person should
I actually heard stories of ppl taking advantage of him but he moves on his way.
@@fuziontonygaming how did they take advantage
@@kaylaingram7418 money stuff. He talks about it.
Even without knowing him he just projects a very positive and nice vibe. I always liked him. He should come back hes very talented
Well said man
2024 and it still provides goosebumps
It’s 2023 and I still come back to listen to this 😭❤
I was just listening to Ushers tiny desk and somehow I ended up here. This one is STILL UNDEFEATED!!!!
Same
Same, left Usher’s early. This is still amazing.
Same some great talent for sure
Same. But I enjoyed both performances from Ush and T-Pain
SAME. Came straight here. T-Pain so talented
Guy on the keys absolutely killed it
Yeah for a moment this "tiny desk" became a jazz bar 😂
Toro Slaughtered them Rhoades
Did!!!!
Thanks John Lemon. For your comment, name and pfp as well 🤣
Duuuuuude watch Gucci's tiny desk, he got zaytoven on the keys and man GOTDAMN he kills it.
Let's just take in that the keyboardist is playing the piano and the base part effortlessly. He went off in "Up Down"
He is amazing!
Back when Tiny Desk was bare bones. Now they have nine-piece bands and eight backup singers. Love you, T-Pain. ❤❤❤
I'm glad I'm not the only one.
It was for real tiny. ❤
Like it best when Tiny Desk artists keep it simple!
I wonder if he really knows how legendary this is.
Well it did go viral and actually put him on the map for the very first time of millions of people finding out that he can actually for real really sing though
well said my guy
Still doesn’t do this justice
I wonder that too Fr
That Keyboard player is a beast
IKR?? So mellow... I want that man to play me to sleep. lol
smooth af
Robo Bruh! I'd pay him to play the soundtrack to my life!
Facts bro
T-Pain: Powerfully authentic. Wonderfully diverse. Permanently professional.
2024 button 👇🏻
That dude cold on the keys. 🎹
MEGAjunglejuice yeah that boy cold
Check out Dram performance up here... D.R.A.M has a super dope one and the keyboard dude play his ass off as well
never hot, raw sauce, never ketchup
Looking and playing like Robert Glasper...
Petition to have T Pain re-record all his hits into something like this... Soulful, without auto tune. I bet babies will be conceived with this song!
PROMISE, I was pregnant by the end....and I'm a man, haha.
Khari Neal pause
He did label shot him down before this came out they didn’t think he could really sing
@@MidwestPhoenix333 couldn’t he have just recorded smth like this as a demo out of his pocket and sent it to his execs or whoever shot him down
Birth rate will spike 👌
People thought this brotha couldn't sing...he been a beast 🖤🖤🖤
This man deserves more credits. It always seemed ridiculous to me that people in the industry believed T.Pain could not sing without the help of an auto tune. This man popularized auto tune. He used auto tune, which made everyone hate him, even though they are still using it today. The music industry is filled with hypocrisy.
This is ridiculous. This video is a masterclass in subverting expectation in the coolest possible way. I’ve never been a fan of T-Pain, but this is so damn beautiful, and honestly, shame on me for assuming he was a hack for years. This was a great set.
"Shame on me" You're amazing bro most people would never admit they're wrong. You're a unicorn very rare to find
You're white thats why. You guys are a little slow when it comes to soulful music.
@@mikesbreakfast1976 Of course somebody had to bring race bs into this...smh just enjoy the music
Plane J And I knew a goofy white liberal would leave a response like this.
@@mikesbreakfast1976 I'm nor goofy, nor a liberal, nor American. I just don't divide musical genres into colors. It's art not politics. And to state that you don't recognize/can't make soulful music cause you're white implies white people in general are soulless and that's not only ignorant but also untrue. Idk why y'all Americans are so racially divided but it's frustrating to see.
I swear if Pain dropped an album like this with all his old hits or New music I'm coping,Straight flames!!!!!
Truth
Same. I want this album!
Me too
Yaaaasssss!! Me too!!
But he did ….
2023 - still listening. Literally makes me tear-up
Insane voice. How many can hold their own live? So impressed. Such an RnB rich voice.
If this ain’t playing at my funeral I ain’t going 😤
Facts
Right....
LOLOL!!!!
🤣
hahahaha
I would buy the F*** out of his acoustic album!
Fuck yea
He Should make "Epiphany" an acoustic album
Fr
I think he put out a non autotune album
Hahaha!!!! Yesss
8 years later. We still come back here to watch this amazing show of talent ❤️❤️
Alvv never thought “Buy You A Drank” would give me goosebumps 🔥
his vulnerability here is captivating.
Real
THIS COMMENT! It makes this one much more real/relatable.
I was the 666th thumbs up for this comment!
1:11 Buy U A Drank 4:02 Up - Down 8:03 Drankin' Patna For my replaying purposes.
DoBetter BeBest LOL
buy u a drank starts at 1:20
I will be using them for my replaying purposes as well, if you don't mind. Like this up.
BrendanVlogs4You my times are the correct times.
Thanks needed this
One of the best if not THE BEST tiny desk performance. 🔥
It’s 2023 and this Tiny Desk still cracks
When you sad but still gotta be pimping
gigolo's get lonely too
😂😂
Hilarious
This is hilarious! They say the "ism" is not easy...
Imagine THIS being your introduction to T-Pain.
It was.
it was sorta hot ones and gus and eddy now this
This is the first thing I hear from T Pain, and I instantly love him, autotune or not
OMG ... you’re right! This is nothing like how he came out with Autotune completely engulfing every note.
@@horsefrog2 me too! Up down was just awesome
I've always been a fan of T-Pain. He is a disruptor and innovator and knows how to make hits. No one uses autotune like him. I miss hearing him on the mainstream.
He gives the most amazing speeches. Between this, BET awards, and the Sun Rose show, he’s a very inspirational person! He deserves all his roses and then some!
You can tell he's nervous. He wrings his hands and tries to diffuse tension with jokes yet his talent is shining so bright. It's speaking volumes and I don't know if he knows. Oddly this was comforting to see someone that good and talented act just like how I think I would have acted in that scenario. Particularly dealing with my own self-doubt and a desire to make music. Love it.
Yes. I feel this as a writer so much.
His audience must have been a bunch of white people
Huh... That’s Pain personality.
@@masonhales dude what are you talking about
@@masonhales It turns out he's awkward because he wasn't aware he was to perform a concert for a crowd. He was under the assumption he was lined up for an interview.
7 years and we still come back to revisit this. Thank you T-Pain
I can't believe it's been 7 years.
facts. I just came back to listen after talking about this with one of my friends.
nice
Exactly my thoughts
This one, Anderson, Erykah B crank harder every time
Money in the baAAaayayaNK 😩😩I'll listen to this forever and ever
Used to listen to T-pain years ago, stumbled upon this to see how he sounded without auto tune and hes much more talented than I gave him credit for
He was the first person 2 win The Masked Singer, go watch it 💜💜💜💜💜
Oh T pain an artist artist
Another Millennials Podcast Clearly, you didn’t listen to much T-pain
@@zontrayharris so. Tell me which original T-Pain hit is 'artistic'
Comment made me laugh
Ya, for REAL REAL
Another Millennials Podcast he singing singing 🎤
It’s now 2022 and this Tiny Desk still cranks!
I watch a few times a year it’s in my favorites
Come back often too. So talented.
FACTS !!!
Wooow I didn’t realize this was from 7 years ago until you said something, so I checked the date
Nah Fr 🔥
he is so awkward and cool i just love him!
I've never heard a man make "money in the bank" sound so tragic. Whenever you perform party songs as soulful sad songs, the results are just always so good.
What an amazing voice!
T Paine should sing like this more Also I love ur channel❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
+whatever bruh what happened to andrea?
The one thing Jenny from the Block doesn't have; a voice....
Lmao what're u doing here
WOW....didn’t expect that🤜
T-Pain needs to visit NPR again and do another set please
He did do another set at their headquarters
But it's time for another thou. Never enough teddy
He really feels like a lot of us don’t like him and I will never understand. Sir is too humble like we love tf out of you.
T pain is so incredibly gifted
Pain needs to do a "stripped down" album. Just him and that keyboardist. I'd buy the shit out of it.
Robogabriel PREACH
sameeeee
Amen.
This isn't a concert, this is a sermon. We in church with this one
Pass the collection bowl brother!
Preach!🙌
with the song he singin. I'd probably make it rain in church lol
Dat boi good👏👏👏
say AMEN
He bodied this!!!
I come back for this too often
Invite T Pain back pls. We need I'm Sprung & I'm In Love with A Stripper with a band.
i was really hoping for I’m Sprung or I can’t believe
Yes, I was really looking forward to I'm sprung and I can't believe it
Exactly
Timothy Williams he did Can’t Believe it in the Tiny Desk Concert
Yesssss
wasn't sure what to expect when i clicked on this... ok t-pain.. you win this round..
👍
that display pic is RAWWWW
Zeekeal G you fuck with the OG?
thatʻs the thing yo. he doesn't need anyoneʻs "you win this round". He never did need it.
Ahh yes it’s traditional to come back to this , one of the greatest tiny desk
8 years and we still come back and enjoy this!
Real talk
So.. I came here to have a good laugh.. I'm now leaving with a new found respect for the man who is T-Pain.. Life is funny. But that dude on the keys though!
Jake Colvin That Keyboard player is killn
Jake Colvin lol why u say it like that tho, "the man who is T-Pain" wtf
I'm sorry I didn't know thats the name his mother gave him. I dont know his formal name so thats why I said it that way and I was also adding a little bit of humor. Its your free will to judge me though.
nah I’m not gon lie, I still laughed at that “NANANANANANANANANA”
Jake Colvin smh egg on face
Actually If you think about I don't think T-Pain wouldn't have gotten as famous as he is now if he didn't use Auto tune. If he used is regular voice he wouldn't have been noticed as much because its not rare to find someone who can sing good. And thats why he used it. Its pretty genius. His real voice is like a secret weapon he can pull it out as a last stop so he can be recognized again.
Exactly. That's what people don't get. T-Pain never used Autotune cause he needed it to sing, it was to draw attention to his music and create a sound that was really unique at the time. The guy is waaay underrated for the amount of versatility he has. He writes, sings, and produces all his songs and then to top it off he can actually dance quite well despite being a chubby dude.
Couldnt agree more he's s really good normal singer but he used something nobody else was using to make a name for himself and his own sound
Wow, yeah you're right. I never thought of it like this.
Totally agree! Although I wish now he made an album like this!
Nicely said I completely agree
And they said he couldn't sing without autotune.... Bro ..... Hands down, most slept on .... A true ninja