Welp, that didn't last long. After facing a wave of backlash from activists following the signing of the AI-generated virtual rapper FN Meka, Capitol Music Group has backed away from the project, Variety reports.
Activists say the computer-generated rapper, who was the work of an entirely non-Black creative team, perpetuated Black stereotypes, and was incredibly offensive, as it rapped about "street life" and regularly used the word "n-gga." The robot rapper, who had one billion views and 10 million followers on TikTok alone, was the brainchild of Anthony Martini and Brandon Le, cofounders of Factory New. In a previous interview with Music Business Worldwide, Martini said that “technically speaking, FN Meka is voiced by a human. But everything else about him — from his lyrics to the chords and tempo underpinning his music — is based on AI.”
Activist group, Industry Blackout, posted an open letter to Capital Records, calling the robot rapper insulting for a variety of reasons. "While we applaud innovation in tech… We find fault in the lack of awareness of how offensive this caricature is," the letter read. "It is a direct insult to the Black community and our culture — an amalgation of gross stereotypes, appropriative mannerisms that derive from Black artists, complete with slurs infused in lyrics. This digital effigy is a careless abomination and disrespectful to real people who face real consequences in real life.”
The letter also pointed out that rapper Gunna, who is featured on the track "Florida Water" with the robot rapper, is currently in jail facing RICO charges, in part because his lyrics were used as evidence against him. "[Gunna] is currently incarcerated for rapping the same type of lyrics this robot mimics," the letter said. "The difference is, your artificial rapper will not be subject to federal charges for such.”
