As AfroTech previously told you, Capitol Records broke its ties with artificial intelligence rapper FN Meka. However, there still might be trouble brewing for its creators.
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The Claims
In a video on Instagram, rapper Kyle The Hooligan accused the creators of allegedly using his voice and his likeness to bring FN Meka to light. The artist claims he was promised — by Brandon Le and Factory New — equity into the company and a percentage of sales for his involvement.
“We’ve been hearing about this FN Meka stuff. People have been dming me. I tried to keep it quiet because I was gonna really wait until this sh-t blew up forreal and then went after them because basically, it was like, they came to me with this AI sh-t and was like, ‘Would I want to be the voice of it?’ And I thought it was going to be like some collaboration. They promised me equity into the company, percentages, all this stuff. So I’m thinking, okay, this is about to be some collab, something different for me. So I could do my music and be on some AI stuff with this FN Meka character,” Kyle The Hooligan said on Instagram.
Legal Process
Clearly, things went left as Kyle The Hooligan says he was left in the dark by Factory New.
“So everything’s going good. Next thing I know, n-ggas just ghosting me. Like use my voice, use my sound, use the culture, and literally just left me high and dry. I didn’t get a dime off of nothing. And they got record deals, all this stuff. I wasn’t involved with no meetings or none of that,” he claims.
This week, Kyle The Hooligan and his attorneys have started the legal process to “recoup his damages from both Brandon Le and Factory New,” according to TMZ.
In a letter, Kyle The Hooligan reveals he joined Factory New in 2020 because he had an interest in the digital era and believed his talents could accomplish this purpose through FN Meka. He also took accountability for failing to investigate the project further but stands firm that “artists must always be at the center of the creative process and must be compensated fairly.”
“Despite multiple requests, we have not received a response from or been put in contact with Factory New’s or Brandon Le’s legal representatives, nor have we received any formal offer for compensation. We are continuing to evaluate our options and are hopeful for a swift and just resolution to this matter,” Kyle’s attorney, Andrew Orcutt told TMZ.