Why AI Rappers Can’t and Shouldn’t Exist

We have all seen the news by now that Capitol Records platformed an AI rapper, and subsequently dropped the AI from the label. The reason given was a lack of sensitivity to the black community. The company stated, “We offer our deepest apologies to the Black community for our insensitivity in signing this project without asking enough questions about equity and the creative process behind it. We thank those who have reached out to us with constructive feedback in the past couple of days — your input was invaluable as we came to the decision to end our association with the project.”

There is one key aspect of this statement that gives reasoning as to why AI can not take place of artists. Sure, there is beauty in the human mind creating a musical process. Sure, it is offensive and there was even offensive terminology. The most offensive aspect however is that there are human careers at stake.

The music industry has done nothing but continue to prioritize profit the last 20 years, since the bling era. In that reality, there have been countless artists through the years that most people have no interest in. The industry has become increasingly revolved around gimmicks rather than what people loved to hear in music from previous decades. This means record labels increasingly sign these artists and sign less artists of genuine talent.

It hasn’t been about talent in the music industry in decades. Yes, there are a lot of very talented artists in the industry today, but those with appeal or controversy are prioritized by labels. This is the direction the industry has gone in. With this being said, it isn’t surprising that an AI rapper was signed. Not only is it a headline and potential cash cow, but AI doesn’t need a paycheck.

It saves executives money. If the trend grew in popularity, what motive would there be for executives to sign human rappers any longer? It is a slippery slope and even one AI rapper signing could mean a dangerous precedent for artists globally. This is not just a concern for the artistry of music, it is a human rights and human equity concern.