AI rapper FN Meka lands major label deal but some fans are uneasy about the use of the N-Word and sounding like other rappers like 6ix9ine.
Artificial Intelligence isn’t just taking over human labor, it is also now providing us entertainment, at least in the hip hop world, as a robot rapper secured a major label deal ahead of talented human rappers. According to Music Business Worldwide, the AI rapper, which is named FN Meka, was signed to Capitol Records recently. The light-skinned robot with green dreads does not have a gender or other definitive phenotype, but it does have more than 10 million TikTok followers.
News reports say that the robot rapper is the “world’s first augmented reality – or “AR” – artist” to sign with a major label. The robot’s music has more than a billion views on TikTok and is named the top “virtual being” on the platform.
A snippet of the AI rapper’s debut single has also been trending online – a track called “Florida Water,” which is said to be a collaboration with Platinum artist Gunna.
As for what this means for the robot’s music, it’s not so farfetched as the music is voiced by a human, but it seems that the composition, videos, and other things are based on artificial intelligence.
Capitol Records says the deal with FN Meka covers music, technology, and gaming. However, hip-hop fans are not pleased with many leveled criticisms at not only the music but also the fact that a real artist with actual talent isn’t signed.
“Stupid f**king precedent has been set. Attack on artists. Labels wanna be cheap and not have to pay real artists so they’re making bots they can keep 100% profit. This sh*t is gross. Not to mention saying n****a? Why?” one person wrote on Twitter.
Others did not like that the AI robot loosely uses the N-word, which is considered a racist word when none black people use it.
Another added, “I mean, sounds kinda weird when spelled out, but it is not like this is without precedence. Fictional bands from ‘the Archies’ to ‘Gorillaz’ have existed for decades. Using algorithms to generate music just means less royalties the label has to share”.
“FN Meka already got 500k monthly Spotify listeners and a song with Gunna. The system is broken,” one person said, while another added, “A white dude really made an AI that can rap then made a brown skin sprite for it called it FN Meka and it got signed to capital records. Bruh the Caucasity.”
Meanwhile, others are already seeing similarities between the AI’s sound and that of New York rapper, Tekashi 6ix9ine.
“6ix9ine looking at FN Meka right now,” another person wrote on Twitter.
Listen to FN Meka song with Gunna and Clix “Florida Water” below.
