T-Pain reimagined Black Sabbath in what Ozzy Osbourne calls the best 'War Pigs' cover ever

In 2014, T-Pain briefly broke the Internet with his stunning spot on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, the acclaimed music series featuring intimate in-office performances. "I know everybody’s wondering where the Auto-Tune is gonna come from," cracked the R&B/hip-hop artist, referencing the popular pitch-correction software that he’s used on hits like 2005's "I’m Sprung" and 2007's "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)." "It’s OK—I’ve got it in my pocket. It’s totally fine…It’s all surgically inserted," he quipped.

Jokes aside, the Tiny Desk showcase was a big moment in T-Pain’s career, proving to naysayers that his use of the ubiquitous Auto-Tune wasn’t some kind of masking technique for lackluster vocals. He went bravely bare-bones during that set, relying solely on his natural, soulful tone and impressively acrobatic technique—and he took the same approach during a 2023 live version of Black Sabbath’s 1970 anti-war heavy-metal protest anthem "War Pigs." If that sounds like an odd pairing of artist and song…well, just click play and see for yourself.

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The song, part of a wicked set called On Top of the Covers (Live From the Sun Rose), is a thrill from start to finish—shifting from psychedelic jam-band grooves to funky hard-rock embellishments. T-Pain is in absolute command of his instrument, building from a controlled low voice to a high, raspy wail. The band, meanwhile, is on fire with the arrangement, expanding the song’s rhythmic foundation and adding textural drama to the chord progression. Unbelievable.

Apparently Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne agreed with that breathless take. A few weeks after the clip went live on YouTube, he posted an X link with the comment, "This is the best cover of 'War Pigs' ever. Why didn’t you guys call me?" T-Pain showed respect to the metal legend, writing back, "You’re always invited. Top of the list, every time!! Thank you so much. Means a lot coming from the greatness himself."

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T-Pain’s studio version of "War Pigs" appears on the singer’s covers LP On Top of the Covers, and that rendition earned a co-sign from Black Sabbath bassist-lyricist Geezer Butler, who posted the YouTube link on X and called it "great." The album highlighted the breadth of T-Pain’s range, also featuring covers of soul classics (Sam Cooke’s "A Change Is Gonna Come"), old-school country songs (David Allan Coe’s "Tennessee Whiskey"), and arena-rock power-ballads (Journey’s "Don’t Stop Believin’").

He also played all of those tunes during the live Sun Rose set, and it’s worth watching the whole thing—I don’t recall another Journey cover on this level of vocal power, let alone one with gospel drum chops. "Dear god. If you didn’t know, now you know," wrote one fan in the YouTube comments. "T-Pain is a rockstar. Covering Sinatra, Chris Stapleton, and Black Sabbath. Spanning so many genres of music. He killed it all."

The year of that record’s release, T-Pain spoke to NPR about his musical evolution—and how his creative choices over the past decade have proven his vocal talents beyond the realm of vocal effects. "Here you go," he said, noting his attitude with the Tiny Desk show. "Everybody wants to hear this song in my style with no Auto-Tune—here you are. Shut up."

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