artificial-intelligence

Timbaland Wants To Commercialize AI Software For Artists

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Timbaland recently caught some flack online for taking advantage of AI software, which is pretty much the biggest controversy in music right now. Moreover, he used an artificial intelligence program to use Biggie Smalls’ voice on one of his own beats, which some people weren’t happy with. While it’s certainly a fun hypothetical to work with, detractors believed it to be a form of grave-robbery and a cheap way to make money off of another artist’s inability to make music. Regardless of the backlash, the legendary producer clearly knows what the risks of AI might be. As such, he wants to make it easier for artists to use it properly.

Furthermore, Timbaland recently revealed that he’s looking for ways to commercialize AI software in a few different ways. According to the Virginia native, artificial intelligence is an “unprecedented world of creativity in music.” His new plans aim to help burgeoning creatives garner “more success,” make melodies more easily, and give “exclusive rights” to people who want to use the voices of “music legend[s] who [are] no longer with us.

Read More: Missy Elliott & Timbaland’s Best Hits

Timbaland’s Next Hopeful Moves With AI Technology

Of course, not everyone in the music industry is particularly happy with this new technology. Even if you see many of the positive elements of artificial intelligence in music, many seem to focus on its negative possibilities. That said, maybe Timbaland’s endeavors actually set a precedent of regulation and proper use when it comes to AI. Sure, it’s quite non-specific at the moment, but the potential is there. Interestingly, though, the 51-year-old’s efforts seem specifically focused on deceased artists, not current artists being replicated, so there’s always more areas to explore.

Back to his Biggie “collab,” the “The Way I Are” artist recently said in an interview that he will hold off on releasing the track until the Brooklyn legend’s estate gives the all-clear. That probably won’t change people’s minds as to whether they agree with this software’s proliferation or not. Despite all the controversy around AI at the moment, its vast possibilities really depend on what precedents the industry sets for it- and how much money they make. As such, any stab at the AI industry is a dangerous but hopefully well-intentioned one. For more news and the latest updates on Timbaland, check back in with HNHH.

Read More: Rappers Who Cheated Death: Timbaland, Kanye & More

Snoop Dogg Reacts To AI “Gin & Juice” Mashup: “This Sh*t Is Outta Hand”

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Yesterday, Snoop Dogg took to Instagram to share his reaction to an A.I. mashup of his iconic 1993 Doggystyle track, “Gin & Juice.” AI combined his track with “The Bare Necessities” from The Jungle Book, prompting a perplexed reaction from the West Coast rapper. He also recently shared an AI version of Michael Jackson singing “Down for My N****s” by C-Murder. Snoop reacted to it, saying “Wow,” and “This shit is outta hand.”

Last week, Snoop was a panelist at the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference. The rapper discussed his experience speaking to an AI model. He shared that it “[blew] his mind,” adding “I got a motherf***in’ A.I. right now.” Snoop also talked about the state of streaming services, saying “[Streaming is] exciting but streaming gotta get their s**t together.” Going on to say he “[doesn’t] understand how the f**k you get paid off that s**t.”

Snoop Is Perplexed

On May 9, Anderson .Paak also shared a video of himself to social media, dancing along to Snoop Dogg’s performance at the Chanel Cruise Collection fashion show afterparty. The rapper was performing his song “The Next Episode,” which was originally performed alongside Dr. Dre, Kurupt, and Nate Dogg. Earlier that week on May 6, he also appeared on the talk show “Undisputed,” where he gifted hosts Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless with Death Row Records chains. As he gave the hosts their gifts, he said “See what it do.” Adding, “Oh, rose gold for the both of ’em. Ya’ll don’t get the yellow gold. Ya’ll get the rose gold.”

Yesterday, Snoop Dogg responded to Ja Morant flashing a gun on Instagram Live. The incident then caused the player to be suspended from his team, meaning he could miss out on part of the next season. Snoop Dogg later shared a series of memes poking fun at the incident. Bronx rapper Scar Lip additionally recently shared messages between her and Snoop on Instagram, in which he agrees to collaborate with her. She writes, “Hey Snoop you think u can get on my remix?” Snoop then replied, saying, “F*ck yes.” The next slide of the post is a screenshot of the two artists FaceTiming. She captioned the post, saying they “FaceTimed and laughed.”

[Via]

Frank Ocean A.I. Tracks Net Scammer Thousands In Sales

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When your favorite artist won’t drop a new album, your desperation to find leaks or unreleased tracks might lead you to a scam or two. Moreover, Vice recently reported that a scammer made thousands of dollars selling fake Frank Ocean tracks that were A.I.-generated. According to this report, such songs were sold on music communities in the underground, such as Discord groups, music forums, and similar platforms. This information also comes with testimonies from people in those circles, as well as direct interviews with the scammer and the scammed. “We determined just about everything he has is fake,” the owner of a Frank leak-centered Discord server wrote to the community’s members.

Of course, this is another point against the prevalence of artificial intelligence in music, and a clear example of its potentially nefarious uses. Despite that reality, it’s one example in a sea of different uses of this type of technology. While this individual got thousands for fooling starving fans, other Frank Ocean die-hards make that distinction clear and just offer fans a cool hypothetical. Also, there’s the more cheeky and unserious interpretations of this tech, such as Biggie dissing himself in an A.I. cover of “Hit ‘Em Up.”

Read More: Frank Ocean Fan Hit With Cease-&-Desist Over Unofficial Coachella Concert Film

Scammer Sells Fake Frank Ocean A.I. Songs, Makes Thousands

However, public favor surrounding Frank Ocean isn’t exactly at an all-time high right now. His mixed reception to his appearance as a headliner at Coachella this year left many fans with a sour taste in their mouths. It also prompted figures like Joe Budden to label him as a “scammer” as well, using his history of scattered releases, teases, and expensive merch as context. Still, there’s a lot we don’t know about the situation, and a lot more nuance to these situations than audiences may expect. We’ll see how the elusive superstar’s next move diverts from that narrative, or contributes to it.

Meanwhile, many might wonder why you would even purchase leaks like these, and how a scam like this would come about in the first place. In communities like Discord servers, individuals purchase these tracks for private use or crowdsource the necessary funds for the files. Many in the community fear that A.I. threw a massive wrench into their focus. Time will tell how the industry at large weaponizes, or more importantly regulates, tech like this to minimize its potentially harmful effects. Regardless, stick around on HNHH for more news on A.I. music and the latest updates (however scant) on Frank Ocean.

Read More: Frank Ocean’s Complicated Relationship With His Fanbase

AI Wrote A Truly Bizarre Rap As Meek Mill’s Dead Father And It Left The Rapper Saying ‘WTF’

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Meek Mill 2023
Getty Image

Artificial intelligence has progressed rapidly in recent times and has therefore increasingly found its way into our everyday lives. Meek Mill had an encounter with AI recently and it left him scratching his head.

Late last night/early this morning (May 10), he tweeted, “Ai wrote a rap about my dad and this what he said WTF.”

The tweet included a video of an apparently AI-generated rap song, called “Back From The Grave” and credited to Big Robbie; Meek’s father, Robert Parker, died from a gunshot wound when Meek was a child, which Meek rapped about on “Traumatized.”

The lyrics of the AI song go, “I died in a shootout, just tryin’ to feed my fam / But death couldn’t stop me, I’m back in the lab / My son Meek Mill, he’s the light of my life / Gotta watch over him, I’m back from the afterlife / I’m Big Robbie and I’m back with a plan / I’m comin’ back to life to see my fam / My soul’s come alive, I’m gonna make it right / Back from the grave, I’m gonna fight the fight.”

Check out the AI track above.

Meek Mill is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Will.I.Am. Wants To Protect His “Face Math” From A.I.

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On May 5th, Will.i.am, the founder of the Black Eyed Peas, joined a growing list of hip-hop celebrities who have expressed concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence (A.I.). During an appearance on Sirius XM, he engaged in a lengthy discussion with DJ Whoo Kid and his co-hosts, Mack and Jen. They spoke about the effects of A.I. on society and the arts. His views were similar to those expressed by other artists about the future of art. It seems uncertain in a world dominated by A.I.

When asked about his thoughts on whether artists should be worried about A.I., Will.i.am responded by stating that it is a legitimate concern. He went on to express his desire to safeguard his face from the potential threats posed by the technology, saying, “I am my face math, I don’t own that. I own the rights to ‘I Got A Feeling,’ but I don’t own the rights to my face or my voice? There are new laws and industries about to boof.”

A.I. And The Future Of Music

Will.i.am is far from the only artist that has criticized A.I. Drake has been in the headlines a lot recently for the same reason. The rapper has been involuntarily involved in the new wave of A.I. music that has begun to saturate social platforms. From funny covers to nonexistent collaborations, A.I. creators are taking the concept and running with it. Drake isn’t too happy about it either. In fact, he called an A.I.-generated cover of Ice Spice’s “Munch (Feeling You)” the final straw. It’s not clear where to draw the line when it comes to A.I. “art.” Some musicians have even given people the go-ahead to use their voices as they choose.

Universal Music Group has urged streaming platforms to remove content created by artificial intelligence (A.I.), and many other artists, including Drake, have criticized this practice. This raises several issues, from copyright problems to human rights violations. If a creator can use an artist’s likeness or voice with no consequences, what implications does that have? Other musicians share Drake’s concern about this issue, and it seems that the problem is only getting worse. More and more websites are emerging that enable users to use a rapper or singer’s voice to create a new song. What do you think about A.I. in music? Let us know in the comments!

Snoop Dogg’s Mind Blown After Conversation With A.I. Model

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Artificial intelligence technology in music is all the rage these days, whether for the hype or how much it literally enrages people. Regardless, Snoop Dogg’s already thrown his two cents on the matter, calling its development in music “outta hand” after sharing an A.I. Michael Jackson cover of C-Murder’s “Down For My N***az.” However, this tech is blowing the West Coast legend’s mind no matter what industry it finds itself in. Recently, Snoop went to the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference, where A.I. and other similar topics took center stage. During his talk, he spoke on talking to an A.I. model like it was nothing, and how that shocked him.

“I got a motherf***in’ A.I. right now,” Snoop Dogg began. “They done made [it] for me, this n***a can talk to me. Like, me and this n***a can hold a real conversation, like for real for real. It’s blowing my mind because I watched movies on this as a kid years ago when I used to see this s**t. I’m like, ‘What is going on?‘

Snoop Dogg Asks If We’re In An A.I. Disaster Movie After Conversation With Model

“Then I heard that the old dude that created A.I. said ‘This is not safe because the A.I.’s got their own minds and these motherf***ers gon’ start doing their own s**t!’” the 51-year-old continued. “I’m like, ‘Is we in a f***in’ movie right now or what?!’ The f**k, man? Do I need to invest in an A.I. so I can have one with me? Do y’all know, s**t, what the f**k?” Not only that, but Snoop Dogg also commented on the possibility of a collaborative A.I. project between Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. While he didn’t dismiss the idea of pulling old vocal tracks together for something like that, he wasn’t too keen on their voices being computer-generated.

Meanwhile, an A.I. Biggie cover of Tupac’s “Hit ‘Em Up” saw him hilariously diss himself and Bad Boy. With that in mind, maybe that future that the “Lodi Dodi” MC is hesitant towards might come sooner rather than later. Still, the industry pushback against the abuse of artificial intelligence in music seems to resonate with fans a lot. However, it doesn’t take away from people’s less disrespectful or malicious uses of the technology, which could actually usher in a new era of creativity. Until then, maybe hold off on that investment, Doggfather; it might just clone you for profit. Regardless, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on A.I. music and Snoop Dogg.

Timbaland Creates Dream Collab With AI Biggie

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The use of AI in the music industry has already raised concerns but for producers and songwriters, it’s become an incredible tool for their craft. Timbaland, for example, never had the opportunity to work with the late Biggie Smalls. However, with the help of AI, he created a dream collaboration with the late Brooklyn artist. “We know that it’s a lot of talk about AI and we know how the feelings of violating certain things,” he said. “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,” he added before playing the record. Timbaland pairs AI Biggie with his signature futuristic style of production as the late rapper’s voice shouts out Young Dolph, Nipsey Hussle, and Pop Smoke. Although it’s a cool experiment, it still raises red flags surrounding how AI can easily replicate an artist’s voice without their consent or approval.

Timbaland & AI Biggie Collab

The comment section of Timbaland’s post was met with mixed reception. Some people, like Offset, called the AI collab “hard” but there were still plenty of others who felt a type of way. A few people went as far as calling it disrespectful. Still, Timbaland appeared to be excited about what he created. “This rite here @creatrgod @youngguru763 I had too,” he wrote, tagging Jay-Z’s engineer who has been strongly against the use of AI to replicate artist’s voices. 

At this point, it’s unclear what Timbaland’s solution for AI but it seems like something the music industry might need now more than ever. In the past month, Universal Music Group took action against the rise of AI songs, specifically those using the voices of artists like Drake and The Weeknd. Drake has grown frustrated with the technology after they used his voice to cover Ice Spice’s “Munch.” However, UMG called on Spotify and other streaming companies to take action and block AI-generated songs. Check out Timbaland’s post above. 

Snoop Dogg Says A.I. Music Is “Outta Hand”

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Snoop Dogg says that A.I. generated music is getting out of hand. The legendary rapper shared his opinion on the technology while posting a video of A.I. Michael Jackson doing a cover of C-Murder’s hit song “Down 4 My N’s.”

“This shit is outta hand,” Snoop wrote in the Instagram post while adding in the caption, “Wow.” “I’ve done a lot of things in my life I’m not proud of. But I ain’t done nothing bad enough to deserve hearing this,” one fan commented on Snoop’s post. “Proving AI can’t beat actual tangible human talent,” another wrote.

Snoop Dogg At Super Bowl LVI

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 13: Snoop Dogg performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Snoop is far from the first artist to comment on the rise of A.I. music in recent weeks. Young Guru called for government regulation in response to the technology to protect the rights of artists. “On one hand I’m well aware that you can’t stop technology. Once the genie is out of the box you can put him back in,” Guru wrote on social media. “On the other hand we have to protect the rights of the artist. Not only artist but everyone in society. People should not be able to take your Name, Image and Likeness without permission. We have to add the voice to this law. We have to learn from past mistakes. You would be a fool to chase every person that is going to do this. We learned that lesson with Napster. The only way I see to deal with it is to change the law. There are so many different opinions. We could change the United States law tomorrow but the internet is world wide. What a time we live in!!”

Other A.I. songs to go viral in recent weeks include a collaboration between Drake and The Weeknd, as well as a song by an A.I. JAY-Z. While many artists have voiced their discomfort with the idea of A.I. music, others have embraced it. JoJo praised the technology, last week, while Grimes has also encouraged fans to use her voice so long as she gets a share of the profits.

Snoop Dogg’s Take On A.I. Music

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