Listen to Beyoncé's pitch-shifted rap verse from "I Been On," edited to sound like her normal voice

by Aaron Zorgel

March 19, 2013

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Beyoncé dropped an unexpected two-part single on us this week, but even if she’d teased its release, it probably wouldn’t have prepared us for what it would sound like. “Bow Down / I Been On” doubles as an aggressive, chopped and screwed claim to the throne, and an ode to Houston, where Bey was born and raised. “Bow Down” was produced by Hit-Boy and Planet VI, while “I Been On” was handled by Timbaland, Polow Da Don, and The-Dream. That’s a pretty star-studded cast and crew for just over three minutes of music.

It seems like the most popular reaction to the song’s release so far has been general bewilderment, perhaps largely due to the pitch shifted vocals on the track. The chopped and screwed hip-hop remixing technique originated in Houston in the ’90s, but it’s safe to say that a large portion of Beyoncé’s fanbase isn’t familiar with the genre’s slow tempos, beat-skipping, and pitch-shifting that Beyoncé pays homage to in “I Been On.” A good point of reference might be the music of Texas-born Ciara, who has employed the conventions of the chopped and screwed style in the pop music realm, and interestingly enough, has worked with Polow Da Don and The-Dream fairly extensively in the past.

As soon as the pitched-down rap verse starts on “I Been On,” it’s a natural instinct to be curious how it would sound in Beyoncé’s regular voice. In a Web 2.0 world, Google it, and ye shall receive. Someone has posted an edited version of “I Been On” with Bey’s vocal’s pitched-up to her normal register. Do you guys like the screwed version of Beyoncé’s verse, or would you have preferred the normal version? Listen below:

Also, if you’re curious about that Willie D video she talks about in the spoken word section of “I Been On,” you can peep that here too. Keep your eyes open for 14-year-old Beyoncé cameos at 1:04, 1:48, 2:13, and 2:23.

Tags: Music, News, Beyonce, The Dream, Timbaland

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