Timbaland Met With Mixed Reactions Following AI-Generated Song Collaboration With The Late Notorious B.I.G.

After sharing his excitement about a collaboration that would have never happened if it weren’t for AI, the legendary producer has received mixed reactions from his supporters.

“I’m sitting here with my brother, Creatr God, and we know that it’s a lot of talk about AI, and we know how the feelings of violating certain things, but let me tell you something,” said Timbaland via a video shared on Instagram. “I got a solution, I’m working on it. It’s gonna be beneficial to everybody.”

 

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In the Instagram post, the Virginia native revealed his excitement was partially due to a collaboration with the late legendary rapper Notorious B.I.G., made possible thanks to AI.

“But, in the meantime, I gotta share something I’ve been working on because I always wanted to do this and I never got a chance to,” he said. “I always wanted to work with Big and I never got a chance to — until today. It came out right. Play.”

While Timbaland was proud of the project, others took to social media to express their continued concern for the technology taking the place of the true artistry of artists. Others revealed that although the music sounds cool, there’s a level of integrity that should come with using the artificial voice of someone who has passed away.

“Sounds dope, but don’t feel right,” said one user.

Another said, “AI will never replace authentic penmanship.”

Someone also accused the technology of stealing artistry from the artists. “I don’t know how to feel about it, as a fan of hip-hop, I would love to sample voices from so many other artists,” they continued.

As previously reported by AfroTech, not only are fans skeptical of AI technology, but artists and labels have also voiced their concerns.

Recently, Universal Music Group (UMG) filed a request to have streaming services block AI from access to copyrighted content. Additionally, they played a role in helping to take down the AI-generated song, “Heart On My Sleeve,” which replicated the voices of Drake and The Weeknd.