In a truly wild set of words for 2023, Patrick Star from Spongebob Squarepants (yes, the cartoon starfish) is now a viral TikTok trend. Why? Users are making the character sing the biggest R&B hits through AI technology.
While it’s just an attempt at the character’s voice and not really the greatest considering, many TikTok accounts are still having fun playing around to see how he sounds on different tracks. One of those doing it, user @twrksumn and her added account @aiquietstorm, has put Patrick with everything from Anita Baker’s “Angel” to Toni Braxton’s “Unbreak My Heart.”
“Patrick doing gospel and R&B now,” one person wrote under the Baker video with a bunch of laughing emojis.
“It’s giving Michael McDonald,” another user commented on a different video, which inspired the poster to make Patrick play his song, “I Keep Forgettin.”
Another popular profile getting in on the Patrick craze is @martinluthervandrossjr, has added some edited memes of Patrick and Spongebob to go along with the AI vocals.
As the trend gains more traction, users are waiting to hear their favorite artists get an AI cover turn — or even hear other characters perform from the Bikini Bottom universe.
Check out just a few of the Patrick Star AI covers above.
A recent trademark application by Kanye West hints that he may be looking to broaden his horizons. The trademark includes services like animal boarding, hotel services, cake decorating, youth hostel services, and more. The application, under the brand YZY SHLTR, also notably hints at Ye delving into the world of AI. It lists “rental of robots for cooking,” as well as “rental of robots for preparing beverages.”
It’s clear that Kanye is looking to expand his empire with his latest trademarks. Just last month, Ye also applied to trademark “YZY SOCK SHOES,” listing “Socks; socks with leather soles,” in documents. The sock-shoes in question emulate those seen being worn by Ye and his wife Bianca Censori as of late. The news also came shortly after adidas revealed plans to sell nearly $1 billion worth of unsold Yeezy shoes.
Ye arrives to the arena for the fight between Jamel Herring and Shakur Stevenson at State Farm Arena on October 23, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Getty Images)
CEO of adidas, Bjorn Gulden, explained at the time that “Burning those shoes cannot be the solution.” “What we are trying to do now over time is to sell parts of this inventory and donate money to the organizations that are helping us and that were also hurt by Kanye’s statements,” he explained. The brand cut ties with Ye in 2022 after he publicly made several anti-Semitic comments.
Adidas chose to donate the proceeds from the remaining sales to various charitable causes. Proceeds are going to the Anti-Defamation League and the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change, which is run by the brother and sister-in-law of George Floyd. “We believe this is the best solution as it respects the created designs and produced shoes,” Gulden explained. “It works for our people, resolves an inventory problem, and will have a positive impact in our communities. There is no place in sport or society for hate of any kind and we remain committed to fighting against it.”
Earlier this month, a report emerged indicating that no hip-hop album or single has topped the Billboard 200 or Hot 100, respectively. Still, hip-hop remains a dominant genre in America and across the world. The Billboard charts are certainly indicative of an artist’s success but it doesn’t define their artistry. “That’s the mindset of a pop artist,” Big Daddy Kane told HotNewHipHop in response to the recent Billboard report. “You know, I mean, that’s what matters in popular music. You know, not how great the person is singing, not how dope the lyrics are. None of that stuff. It’s just how popular the song is.”
Kane comes from an era where the strength of one’s pen carried far more weight than a Billboard entry. Next Friday, he’ll join EPMD, KRS-One, and Slick Rick as part of Doug E. Fresh’s Hip-Hop 50 performance at Essence Festival in New Orleans. The roster of artists joining forces for this performance has played a pivotal role in shaping the culture that we know today as hip-hop.
However, amid a technological revolution that has become a threat to intellectual property, Big Daddy Kane believes the younger generation of artists is facing bigger hurdles. Artificial intelligence has been a point of contention since the rise of FN Meka. Since then, we’ve heard AI replicate the voices of artists like Jay-Z and Drake, among others. It’s a frightening development but not one that puts the legacies of artists like Big Daddy Kane at risk. However, he does fear how it might impact future generations.
Big Daddy Kane’s Message To The Younger Generation
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 17: Big Daddy Kane performs during TrillerVerz at Barclays Center on October 17, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
“Dear younger generation, please be careful in controlling the narrative of your artistry. Do the best that you can stand out as a unique artist in his day and era. Be that person that people respect because of you. Not because of the beat, not because of the hook, but because of you, the artist,” Kane explained. “As we move into the era of AI and holograms, we, at some point — I don’t mean a long time from now. I mean, in the near future – you won’t be relevant.”
Kane confidently states that his legacy, and those of Rakim, KRS-One, and MC Lyte, are set in stone. AI isn’t trying to replicate them. “We’re not a threat,” he continued. “This is for the younger generation: you have to, please, you know, protect your art form and your status as an artist… I think that’s something they really need to focus on so they don’t get replaced by computer technology. I would really hate to see that happen to young cats, especially the ones that truly believe that they have talent and want to showcase it.”
Kane: Hip-Hop Isn’t On The Decline But They Wish It Was
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 14: Big Daddy Kane attends 2018 DC Emancipation Day at Freedom Plaza on April 14, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brian Stukes/Getty Images)
In 2023, it’s hard to imagine what hip-hop was like in the late ’80s, especially for those who weren’t even born then. Cassette tapes continued to dominate the music industry years before CDs were introduced. Kane came from a courageous era where hip-hop was discounted as a fad that wouldn’t have an everlasting impact. In 2023, even if hip-hop isn’t dominating the charts, it’s hard to deny that the genre has effectively influenced pop music at large. In a sense, that’s essentially why album sales and singles hold weight in online discourse.
“I think that there are so many other music genres that would like to see the decline of hip hop,” Kane said. “Anybody that understands corporate structure, they know that what happens in that type of situation is that quantity comes in, and quality goes out.” In the current climate, it’s a delicate balance, he explains. “Hip hop is so strong and so powerful. But it’s a major, major quantity. But there’s not a whole lot of quality.”
Still, there are several rappers that he could count on to deliver quality music: J. Cole, Conway The Machine, Rapsody, and Lady London. “There’s a certain algorithm that plays on the radio, where, you know, majority stuff sounds the same. And artists like that may not fit that format,” he said. “But there is amazing music out there. They may not be selling.. because they don’t fit that algorithm. But there are a lot of talented young artists out there today. You know, I don’t blame the artists, I blame the people that are in control of where music is played, and what music they’re putting out and feed to the youth.”
The 2024 Grammy Awards will be a bit different than ceremonies from prior years. For instance, The Recording Academy revealed earlier this week that three new categories have been added: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album, and Best Pop Dance Recording. Now, the Academy has also addressed AI music and the eligibility of works created using artificial intelligence.
As Variety reports, there are new “Artificial Intelligence (AI) Protocols” that essentially say music made purely by AI cannot be nominated for a Grammy. However, human-created work made using AI technology is eligible, so long as there’s a significant human contribution.
Here’s what it says in full:
“The GRAMMY Award recognizes creative excellence. Only human creators are eligible to be submitted for consideration for, nominated for, or win a GRAMMY Award. A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any Categories. A work that features elements of A.I. material (i.e., material generated by the use of artificial intelligence technology) is eligible in applicable Categories; however: (1) the human authorship component of the work submitted must be meaningful and more than de minimis; (2) such human authorship component must be relevant to the Category in which such work is entered (e.g., if the work is submitted in a songwriting Category, there must be meaningful and more than de minimis human authorship in respect of the music and/or lyrics; if the work is submitted in a performance Category, there must be meaningful and more than de minimis human authorship in respect of the performance); and (3) the author(s) of any A.I. material incorporated into the work are not eligible to be nominees or GRAMMY recipients insofar as their contribution to the portion of the work that consists of such A.I material is concerned. De minimis is defined as lacking significance or importance; so minor as to merit disregard.”
So far, Grimes has been the most notable artist to dive headfirst into AI music: A song featuring “GrimesAI,” how tracks using an AI version of her voice are credited, was released last month.
Young Guru is someone who has been very much against the rise of AI music. Overall, he is not the only person to be against it. AI music can be quite dangerous to art forms as a whole. Although some fans find it fascinating, others see it as a disgusting new technology. Now, we have non-consensual collaborations between artists who would never work together. Moreover, artists who have passed away are now being placed into new songs they would have never done.
However, producers like Timbaland are trying to monetize AI music and commercialize it for the future. Young Guru even warned Timbaland about this, saying “@timbaland I love you my brother. You know I do. But this ain’t it!!! This is dangerous and at a basic level it’s corny!! I will be on the side of the Luddites.” Subsequently, Guru has since spoken with Okayplayer on his thoughts about AI. In the interview, he spoke about Biggie specifically and how these songs can tarnish his legacy.
Artist Young Guru speaks onstage at The 2020 NAMM Show on January 17, 2020 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for NAMM)
“When you take Big’s voice and you have him saying things that he would have never said, or it’s your interpretation or some other writer’s interpretation of what you think Big would have said, this kind of violates him and his legacy,” Young Guru explained. “How do you think his daughter felt? How do you think CJ felt hearing their dad’s voice? Do you think Faith feels? How do you think Big’s mom feels? They’re not getting paid from any of these things that are being put out.”
Overall, it is very easy to see how someone could feel this way. Quite frankly, AI music is something that takes the heart and soul out of art. However, with art being treated as a commodity, it’s not surprising this ended up happening. Let us know what you think of Young Guru’s comments, down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from the music world.
Artificial intelligence in music provoked a lot of discussion, condemnation, but also celebration among the industry. Whether it was fake tracks with other rappers’ voices, AI-generated lyrics, or covers of famous songs by deceased legends, it took the world by storm in these past few months. However, let’s not forget that AI started making waves in the visual medium before it hit our ears. Moreover, now we have a bit of a combination of those two enterprises to once again bring hip-hop fans a curious thought experiment. Have you ever wondered what Kanye West, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, and many more would look like when they’re much, much older?
Well, now we might know, as AI artist David Zinyama uploaded various rappers aging (with help from the tech algorithm) on Tuesday (May 23). Other figures he used artificial intelligence to age include Beyoncé, Cardi B, Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, DJ Khaled, J. Cole, and Usher. Presumably, the program generated the renditions based on one or various pictures of them and predicted what the change would look like in an unspecified amount of years. Furthermore, most are hard to believe, a few are pretty spot-on, but all of them are very uncanny. Also, some commenters pointed out that they look more like other people than they do themselves.
Still, this wave of debate around AI in art, when compared to that of AI in music, is a different but no less worrisome beast. For example, Will.i.am warned Sirius XM during an interview that these advancements go far beyond just music or art, and that steps must be taken to ensure people’s private rights to their image and voice are preserved. “We all have voices, and everyone’s compromised because there are no rights or ownership to your facial math or your voice frequency,” he stated. “So, forget songs. Banks. People calling up your bank pretending to be you. Forget songs. Just family matters and wiring money. You’re getting a FaceTime or a Zoom call and because there’s no intelligence on the call, there’s nothing to authenticate AI call or a person call.
“That’s the urgent thing, protecting our facial math,” he continued, “I am my face math, I don’t own that. I own the rights to ‘I Gotta Feeling’, I own the rights to the songs I wrote, but I don’t own the rights to my face or my voice? There’s new laws and new industries about to boof. This time next year you’ll be like, ‘Will.i.am said that on that radio station.’ Fact is, these are all new parameters that we’re all trying to navigate around because the technology is that amazing and with amazingness comes regulations and governance that we have yet to implement.” Let us know what you think of these renditions and the role of AI in art in the comments down below. In addition, come back to HNHH for the latest bizarre offerings and crossovers in the AI and music world.
Over on TikTok, various AI-powered filters have become all the rage. With the skyrocketing popularity of anime in the US, naturally, one of TikTok users’ favorite filters turns them into anime-style illustrations of themselves. But the results aren’t always predictable, as Lil Baby found out recently as part of his brand partnership with Axe Body Spray. As Baby and Axe are producing a manga for their upcoming “Fine Fragrance Collection,” it’s only right that the Atlanta rapper opted to try out the anime filter on TikTok — even if the results were less impressive.
“Let me check this out,” he says, as he fires up the filter. Unfortunately, the illustration it generates is … well … look, there’s a reason nobody wants AI writing scripts or making songs just yet. Baby’s reaction sums it up best: “Aw, HELL naw!” he exclaims. You can see it for yourself below:
Baby will have plenty of time to catch up on his favorite anime and manga when he goes on his It’s Only Us Tour at the end of July. With two months’ worth of travel ahead of him, now’s the best time for him to stock up on reading/viewing material for the road. His Axe manga, Shonen Baby, is due on 6/11.
Ice Cube does not co-sign the use of AI in hip-hop, however.
The iconic West Coast rapper visited the Full Send Podcast last week and was asked about “this new wave of rappers,” teeing him up to give a scathing review of AI.
Ice Cube’s thoughtful response began at the 47:35 mark:
“I like the beats. The artists are getting lost in autotunes, and now that you have an AI computer, I think people don’t want a computerized rapper no more. They want to hear your voice. I don’t know any rappers by they voice no more. I used to know all the rappers just – hear they voice, know who that is.
I think they need to figure out how to put that autotune down, and we need to hear what people sound like and if they’re as good because I think AI is demonic. I think AI is gonna get a backlash from real people — real, organic people — and so I think artists need to go back to using their real voice and making sure people know this is authentic and not made from a computer.”
When asked whether he was implying all artists now use AI, Ice Cube clarified, “I think autotune sounds computer-like, and I think it’s all starting to sound artificial because of AI.”
In case there was any remaining confusion regarding Ice Cube’s stance on AI, he later plainly stated: “I don’t want to hear an AI Drake song. I don’t want to hear that bullsh*t, and he should sue whoever made it.”
And if anyone dares to make an AI Ice Cube song, “I’m gonna sue the motherf*cker who make it, too, and the platform that plays it.”
Sting and will.i.am are among other artists who have shared their opinions on AI.
While the recent advancements in technology certainly have their benefits, it’s hard to deny that some of them are terrifying. Over the past few months, an increased number of artificial intelligence-generated music has been coming to the forefront, whether in the form of artists covering unlikely songs (such as Drake on Ice Spice’s “Munch (Feelin’ U)”) or using the voices of dead rhymers to cover tracks from other artists made long after their passing. We’ve heard several public figures using their platform to voice the dangers of AI. The latest is Ice Cube, who candidly shared his opinion during this past Friday’s (May 19) episode of the Full Send podcast.
After one of the hosts asked the NWA alum if he heard the recently circulating The Weeknd and Drake AI collaboration, Cube made it abundantly clear that he “doesn’t want to hear” such things. When it was argued that “everyone on the internet” has been listening to the track, the Californian shot back, “Yeah, I don’t wanna hear that bullshit. He should sue whoever made it.” When it was suggested that the technology is coming for his career too, he made it known that he won’t hesitate to take legal action against anyone who tries.
“Yeah, and I’mma sue the muthaf*cka who made it and the people and the platform who play it,” the “No Vaseline” hitmaker declared. “It’s like a sample, you know what I mean? Somebody can’t take your original voice and manipulate it without having to pay.”
As HipHopDX notes, others who have spoken out about their issues with AI lately include will.i.am. “We all have voices, and everyone’s compromised because there are no rights or ownership to your facial math or your voice frequency,” he told DJ Whoo Kid on SiriusXM, addressing the dangers that face everyday people too. “So, forget songs. Banks. People calling up your bank pretending to be you.”
Tap into Ice Cube’s entire conversation with the Full Send podcast below. Do you agree with his stance on artificial intelligence in music? Let us know in the comments, and tap back in with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.
While other industry figures seem to support or at least tolerate artificial intelligence in music, Young Guru firmly speaks against it. Moreover, he warned the industry of the dangers of the technology upon hearing a Kendrick Lamar voice filter and an AI-generated Jay-Z verse. Now, he recently reacted to Timbaland’s plans to commercialize AI, which would in theory enable artists to obtain “exclusive rights” to use the voices of late musical legends. Of course, neither party will be able to control or regulate AI in music by themselves. However, perhaps the legendary engineer has led the way for more hesitation from artists when it comes to this innovation.
“@timbaland I love you my brother,” Young Guru wrote on his Instagram Story, reposting a report about the producer’s endeavors. “You know I do. But this ain’t it!!! This is dangerous and at a basic level it’s corny!! I will be on the side of the Luddites.” Sure, many might find it corny in and of itself to compare the movement against AI to a 19th century revolution against textile machines. Still, it’s a more apt comparison than you might expect, because tech will progress no matter who is standing up against it.
Regardless, the 49-year-old’s efforts to vocalize the dangers of artificial intelligence in music are quite commendable. If anything, these conversations should point to a middle ground of understanding that this should, at the very least, be regulated in some way. After all, a lot of the more popular uses of AI have been for meme videos, light-hearted reimaginations of tracks, or other non-threatening uses. The issue could stem from the industry trying to profit off of this and use it to benefit artists’ laziness or lack of creativity. In the worst cases, it blurs the line between a legitimate release and making money off of another’s likeness or false work without their permission.
Meanwhile, Timbaland was very excited to share his AI Biggie Smalls “collab.” “We know that it’s a lot of talk about AI and we know how the feelings of violating certain things,” he remarked. “But let me tell you something: I got a solution, I’m working on it. It’s gon’ be beneficial to everybody. I gotta share something I’ve been working on because I always wanted to do this and I never got a chance to. I always wanted to work with Big and I never got a chance to.” For more news on AI music and the latest updates on Young Guru, stick around on HNHH.
#spongebob #spongebobsquarepants #patrickstar #spongebobmeme #blacktiktok #blacktiktokcommunity #blacktok #funny #church #blackchurch #CapCut
