Mega-producer Timbaland has reaffirmed his commitment to artificial intelligence.

Stage Zero and TaTa

Timbaland is taking greater ownership in the advancement of artificial intelligence. The Grammy Award winner launched the AI-focused entertainment company Stage Zero in partnership with Zayd Portillo, his creative partner, and film producer Rocky Mudaliar, as reported by Rolling Stone.

The label has also “signed” its first AI-generated “artist,” TaTa. Timbaland says TaTa is not an avatar or character, drawing a clear boundary that he believes she is “a living, learning, autonomous music artist built with AI,” according to Music Worldwide.

“TaTa is the start of something bigger. She’s the first artist of a new generation. A-Pop is the next cultural evolution, and TaTa is its first icon,” Timbaland told the outlet.

Partnership with Suno

During the 2023 AFROTECH™ Conference, the rapper stated that AI should not only be embraced but that the community should also be at the forefront of AI innovation, as it’s “very lucrative.”

Timbaland, who had been using the AI music creation tool Suno for several months, officially partnered with the platform as a strategic advisor in 2024.

“When I heard what Suno was doing, I was immediately curious,” he said in a news release. “After witnessing the potential, I knew I had to be a part of it. By combining forces, we have a unique opportunity to make AI work for the artist community and not the other way around. We’re seizing that opportunity, and we’re going to open up the floodgates for generations of artists to flourish on this new frontier. I’m excited and grateful to Suno for this opportunity.”

It was Timbaland’s experience using Suno that solidified his decision to launch Stage Zero.

“I saw the path, but I had to wait till everything caught up,” Timbaland explained to the outlet.

Timbaland has still remained an advocate for Suno despite a string of lawsuits by Universal Music Group NV, Warner Music Group Corp., and Sony Music Entertainment against the platform in June 2024, as AFROTECH™ previously reported.

The lawsuit accuses Suno of “mass infringement of copyrighted sound recordings copied and exploited without permission by two multi-million-dollar music generation services.”

As for AI-generated artists, Mudaliar told Rolling Stone, “The artists of tomorrow won’t just be human; they’ll be IP, code, and robotics that are fully autonomous. That’s what we’re building at Stage Zero.”

The announcement of these new types of artists has led to public scrutiny, which wouldn’t be the first for Timbaland.

In 2023, he backtracked from the release of an AI-generated Notorious B.I.G. song, which had not been approved by the late rapper’s estate.

“You showed your colors when you attempted to make a song using Biggie’s AI generated voice,” British DJ Shy FX said, according to Complex.”You made it even clearer by partnering with Suno, whose founder has been very vocal about wanting to replace musicians, not support them. And now this? This isn’t disruption. It’s a cash-in.”

Producer Wes Beats expressed his concern, stating that as an emerging producer who has dedicated years to perfecting his craft, sacrificed family time, and invested immense effort into his music, witnessing prominent figures embrace AI “like it’s the next big thing feels like a slap in the face.”

Timbaland addressed concerns, affirming his intent to continue working with independent artists.

“I know I’m trolling but let’s have real conversation,” Timbaland wrote on Instagram. “I love my independent artists. This doesn’t mean I’m not working with real artists anymore. And nah I don’t train AI off y’all music. This just means more creativity for creators.”