There was a time when using auto-tune to correct your pitch was considered a cheat, not something real singers would do.
But then T-Pain appeared and changed the game.
The rapper, singer, producer and auteur behind such hits as "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')," "I'm 'n Luv (Wit a Stripper)" and "Bartender" brazenly coated his vocals with so much auto-tune that it became an aesthetic and not a crutch, dazzling the late ‘00s with a woozy croon that Kanye West and many others emulated.
Fans of the man born Faheem Rasheed Najm were heartbroken when a clip went viral last year in which he revealed that after he was scolded by Usher for “ruining music” (whatever that means) by using auto-tune, he entered a period of depression and stopped working for a while.
But now he’s back in the game and thriving.
He won the inaugural season of “The Masked Singer,” he has his own documentary series “T-Pain's School of Business,” and he recently co-starred and competed against former Miss USA Olivia Culpo in a “Homestyle Challenge” Cooking showdown on the streaming platform Twitch.
You can’t keep T-Pain down for long, and now he’s teamed with the fast casual chain Panera Break for a truly surprising collaboration.
What Is T-Pain Doing With Panera Bread?
T-Pain has teamed up with NTWRK, a livestream shopping platform, for the company’s Day of Craveable Drops, a series of online marketing activations.
For this drop, T-Pain will team up with Panera Bread to promote the company’s salvo into the Chicken Sandwich wars, Chef's Chicken Sandwiches, available as the “Signature Take” and the “Spicy Take.”
On May 4, NTWRK will stream the all-day event, which will feature an interview with NTWRK host Kylie Mar, where they will show off the custom merch for the event, including art prints and foot wear, while tasting the chicken sandwiches.
The two will also reportedly talk about the best ways to pair your outfits with your meal, which will no doubt be an eye-opening conversation.
Fans can register for a drawing for a chance to win some of that exclusive merch, and the winners will be announced at the event.
One of the major prizes is The Deliciously Luxe Drip Kit, a collection of luxury items including French Terry crew and athletic pants adorned with T-Pain’s signature and paired with custom-made T-Pain x Panera luxury headphones.
That sounds nice, but maybe not quite as nice as the $3,000, 24 karat gold plated T-Pain x Panera chalice designed by celebrity jeweler Greg Yuna that was claimed on the NTWRK app on April 21 to one lucky winner.
Panera
Panera Wants You To Drink Up
The whole chalice thing, in addition to being a (very successful) attention-grabbing publicity gimmick, is a nod to Panera’s latest promotion, Panera’s Unlimited Sip Club.
The Sip Club allows hardcore Panera fans to have unlimited beverages for $10.99 a month, starting on July 27.
That means you can have all the fountain beverages, iced and hot coffee and tea and as many of the new Charged Lemonades (which are caffeinated lemonade drinks) as you want.
The first 1,000 people who entered the NTWRK drawing will receive a free three-month membership to the Panera’s Unlimited Sip Club.
So just by registering to win his drop, T-Pain (and Panera) will be buying U a drank. What a guy.
