Thanks to the ever-increasing powers of artificial intelligence, music lovers will no longer have to imagine what their favourite artist would sound like singing a song outside of their discography. Instead, computers are becoming able to mimic the vocals of some of the industry’s biggest names and use them to recreate other popular tracks. While the technology obviously isn’t widely available at this time, Hit-Boy was able to use it on Monday (April 10) to create a Kanye West AI version of his and Avelino’s “2 Certified” collaboration.
The catchy song arrived on last month’s SURF OR DROWN, which finds the producer also wearing his rapper hat. Besides his foreign guest feature, Hit-Boy also tapped names like Nas, Dom Kennedy, Curren$y, Jay 305, and more to work with him on the 11-track effort. Now that it’s had some time to digest with fans, the multi-talent put a twist on one of our favourite titles. “AI is getting insane,” he declared via Instagram yesterday. “@kanyewest rapping ‘2 Certified’ sounds too [crazy] .” In the accompanying video, we see Hit-Boy sitting in the studio, nodding along as West’s computer-generated voice spits out the lyrics.
“I’ma need all the amenities / You made a lil’ pape, I went at their neck and made history / Dumbin’ out on my own beats / Hot like I threw ’em in grease,” he rhymes without missing a beat. “The one, not the two or the three / I’m watchin’ the numbers increase.” As the father of four raps “2 Certified,” Hit-Boy can be heard saying, “That shit is wild!” Elsewhere in the studio, others gave a similar reaction, obviously amazed by the technological process taking place in front of them.
In the original post’s comment section, viewers seem torn between begging for another collaboration between West and the producer and pointing out the realities of how chilling AI is becoming. “Dope but it’s scary times,” one person wrote. “AI too cold,” another chimed in. “Lol and all these [videos] making me want Kanye on so much more music.” Revisit the original cut of “2 Certified” featuring Avelino below, and tell us which version you prefer in the comments.
One of tech’s most significant recent developments in music either motivates fans for the future or scares artists due to its potential dangers. While A.I. deepfakes (involving pictures, voices, statements, and beyond) are more prevalent than ever, many artists spoke out against its malpractice. The most recent to do so is Lil Durk, who spoke with HipHopDX about artificial intelligence that can replicate parts of the creative process. One day, some believe, A.I. will be able to fully replicate an artist’s sound. Just look at the recent controversial A.I.-generated Jay-Z verse that had fans, small artists, and the industry at large concerned.
Despite those legitimate fears and the threats artificial intelligence replicas pose to copyright and artists’ livelihood, The Voice says a fake voice could never replace him. Not only that, but the Chicago storyteller treated the issue as a tool to use wisely, not as a definite benefit or plight to the music world. “I heard them AI deep fakes usin’ my voice, it’s wild what tech be doin’,” he expressed to the publication. “I think AI gon’ change how we make music, but ain’t nothin’ gonna replace the real deal, them raw vibes and emotions we bring. Just gotta make sure we use it right, ya know? Keep our essence alive.”
Lil Durk Talks A.I. Amid NFT-Sneaker Hybrid Collection
Interestingly enough, Durkio knows a thing or two about these new waves of tech. For example, he also spoke to HipHopDX about his NFT-centered “phygital” sneaker collection, NXTG3NZ. Basically, the concept revolves around purchasing a digital NFT, which then allows for a customized experience in copping a physical model of the product. During his conversation with the hip-hop news org, he also chose which moment of his career he’d like to immortalize in NFT form if given the chance.
“I’d pick the time I sold out United Center in my hometown [in 2022], the energy was unreal,” the 30-year-old stated. “That night was somethin’ else, and I’d love to share that vibe with the fans, let ’em feel what I felt on that stage.” Sure, NFTs aren’t any less controversial than this A.I. tech in some circles, but Durk clearly cares more about the righteous execution of these innovations rather than their proliferation at face value. Regardless, stick around on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Lil Durk.
The hip-hop world’s been reacting to A.I.-generated songs, voice replications, and filters for a while, but it just took a whole new scary step. Moreover, a recent audio clip surfaced on social media of an A.I.-generated verse from Jay-Z, complete with lyrics and voice mimicry as if it was a recorded product. After it exploded on the Internet, some of hip-hop’s most notable behind-the-scenes figures (and greatest defenders) spoke out against it. However, perhaps “scary” isn’t the right word, as leaders like Young Guru are more concerned with how this will tangibly impact artists. He acknowledges that technology will continue to evolve and shape itself regardless, but that we must be ready to protect our art.
“I’ve been trying to tell everyone that this is where we are now with AI,” he wrote on Instagram, posting the clip in question. “For some reason this one got everyone’s attention. So what do we do. 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. 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.”
Young Guru Posts Words Of Concern After A.I. Jay-Z Verse
“We have to learn from past mistakes,” he continued. “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!!”
Furthermore, 9th Wonder commented “My God,” and DJ Clark Kent wrote, “This is terrible.” While Guru previously warned fans of A.I. thanks to a Kendrick Lamar voice filter that can alter one’s voice to mimic his, this is an even deeper issue. As such, the hip-hop world might be intimidated by technology, but seems as committed as ever to defending its roots, culture and artistry. For more on Young Guru, Jay-Z, and A.I.’s revolutionary (and worrisome) evolution in music, stick around on HNHH.
Creative AI may be the most disruptive technology for the music business since the Napster era of piracy. Already in 2023, over 10 different music AI models have been released by independent researchers and big-tech companies like Google and ByteDance, allowing users to generate custom tracks in seconds using a mere text prompt. Thanks to off-the-shelf music AI tools like Boomy, hundreds of thousands of AI-generated songs are now listed on streaming services. At large, generative AI tools for text, and visual art like ChatGPT and Midjourney have picked up tens of millions of users, forcing us to rethink traditional notions of creativity, ownership, and attribution.
The concept at the core of why creative AI could be so disruptive is that the friction between having an idea, and manifesting that idea in the form of a creative work, has essentially gone down to zero. Barriers in distributing music have already been collapsing, with anyone now able to list their music on streaming services for free. To see the same barriers collapsing in the creative process means that the playing field of who can be an “artist,” in the sense of being an active participant in the music economy, will continue to increase dramatically.
The concept at the core of why creative AI could be so disruptive is that the friction between having an idea, and manifesting that idea in the form of a creative work, has essentially gone down to zero.
Traditional music-industry notions of authorship and attribution will likely need to be thrown out the window with creative AI, as what is happening under the hood with these AI models is much more complex than directly sampling a song. The legal and regulatory landscape around generative AI is still so unpredictable that trying to make any future predictions right now is a futile effort.
That said, any historical conflict between music and tech companies has usually boiled down to stubborn information silos between artists/rights holders and tech developers, and the lack of a shared language between those two parties around what counts as “success,” and what industry issues matter and why. So, my primary advice to artists and music-industry professionals is to break down these information silos now while we’re still early, and start talking to and collaborating with music and audio AI developers to develop a culture of transparent dialogue.
This goes the other way as well—the best music AI developers are building iterative feedback and collaboration cycles with artists into their day-to-day workflows. Novel approaches to licensing, monetization, and brand protection that are being experimented with right now with AI models prioritize direct artist consent and collaboration with developers as an ethical default (e.g. Spawning).
As these music AI models continue to mature rapidly and enter the hands of mainstream consumers, I think now is the time for music professionals to jump in, start experimenting, and have their say on how these tools can grow and evolve.
Generative AI is coming for music, whether we like it or not. Much like every other creative industry. Here are a few areas of impact:
1. There will be a flood of mediocre, indistinguishable, unoriginal music. Emphasis on context- and mood-based music, ambient, sleep, lo-fi, instrumental. ‘Good enough’ music, which has become plentiful in the last 5-10 years, will now go from the long-tail to the generative AI.
2. Music libraries and production houses will see the most change. The mass music-as-a-service companies will almost entirely transition to AI, wiping out a huge area for 9-5 musicians to earn a living.
3. We may see a paradox movement back to an artist and originality focus for listener habits. Artists over songs. You must stand out. You must connect. Authenticity & originality as a premium.
4. Artists who most effectively use AI as part of their creative stack will ride a new wave. That’s not just in the music, but in video, art, and more.
The takeaway is to learn and adapt. Know who you are. The era of ‘creating for the algorithm’ may come to an end. How can you beat an advanced AI at that?
Justice Baiden of LVRNAshley Maass of Ceinwen Studios
What are your thoughts or concerns around AI and music for the coming months and years?
Just like anything in life, moderation is key. I think AI will help a lot, but could hinder creativity based on that becoming people’s only tool.
What do you expect to happen if there is no moderation with AI?
With AI specifically, creativity could take a backseat, right? For me, AI is a tool and it’s supposed to be able to help you get from point A to point Z more efficiently. Creatively, AI can allow us to expand on ideas and even connect with people that can take it to a different space. But to be relying on it… like I’m even seeing things where people are getting AI to write them songs, but there’s still a percentage of human touch that’s needed. And that usually shows through an error. Computers try to be as accurate as possible. But as humans, we still have a percentage of error. And that’s a certain feeling we’ll lose if we lean too far. I feel like we’ll lose things that keep creativity sacred if we use AI as a crutch.
Right, it raises questions about things like work ethic and authenticity. Those things could potentially be questionable, and you might start to question how artists are making music and if it’s even them actually making it.
Yeah, exactly. For me, it’s not even the question of how artists make music, it’s more so: are you giving your best effort? The only way we can really push for the best creativity is through effort and by exploration. Once that’s removed and there’s a crutch, it slows down the innovation and the creativity.
The creatives can get lost because they don’t understand how to navigate tech, and the tech people don’t necessarily understand music language. So I think they both need each other, and tech is not going to stop moving forward. But creativity can.
Technology is never going to stop moving forward, and AI is just innovation in technology. But in the music industry or anything in the arts, the language between creativity and technology hasn’t been refined. The creatives can get lost because they don’t understand how to navigate tech, and the tech people don’t necessarily understand music language. So I think they both need each other, and tech is not going to stop moving forward. But creativity can.
With AI and how it might impact streaming streaming services, you mentioned the idea of how AI will double down on this idea of targeting your fans. Can you talk a little about that?
Yeah, even beyond music, I think the future of community building is going to involve a lot of niche focus. Right now, everything is so fragmented, but it’s not going to stop being fragmented because as more people get access to the internet, you get more pockets of different subcultures. They all continue to build and get stronger. Creating your community from a niche perspective is going to be the only way to sustain.
Someone like Beyoncé, for example, makes things an event. She’s loud enough and big enough and has enough reach to get the world to pay attention and focus on one thing for at least a day, right? Newer creatives aren’t going to have that luxury and that ability to get the whole world to be on the same page for a second.
I was at a conference a couple of weeks ago and Mr. Beast, the YouTube sensation, was giving a talk. And I knew who he was, but there were so many people around me that were asking, “Who is this guy?” That’s crazy, right? He has the biggest footprint on YouTube, but the fact that people didn’t even know who he is allows me to understand that it’s just all about niches and it’s all about how big you can make your niche. But for everybody to know one person? I think we’re just getting further and further away from that.
There is no there’s no limit on niches though. I look at how AI uses different keywords to advertise or get new fans, because at the end of the day interests are interests and we’re influenced by the people around us. I could be walking down the street, and I can almost guess who listens to Tyler, The Creator and who doesn’t. I’m not going to be 100%, but I know that I’ll be over 50%. If somebody looks at me, I don’t think they’ll guess I’m a huge Bon Iver fan.
What I’m trying to say is that there’s no limit to how big your niche gets. I think Mr. Beast proves that. He can have a hundred million people watch his video in two days. It’s still a niche, but it’s an international niche. Back in the day it was terrestrial radio and TV and we all had to pay attention to one thing, but it’s just not the same anymore. So you can try to build your community and grow it as much as possible, but the days of the whole world stopping to watch a music video are over.
Yeah, it’s fascinating, right? Working at a label and doing digital marketing, that’s something that we’re challenged with. How do you create that visual brand when people aren’t watching music videos in the same way as they used to? Everything is transitioning to short form, and how do you tell that story if people’s attention spans are diminishing?
Yeah, I challenge that theory. I think short form content is the way, but there’s still an audience that likes black and white movies. There’s still an audience that would appreciate short films. It might not be explosive numbers, but if the product is good and the quality’s there, you start to train your niche to understand and go along with what’s important to you. I think human behavior is just training. We have been trained to enjoy short form content. Long form content just takes longer but you have to train, to be patient, and the content has to be good. But if you can do that, I think you build more quality fans, because they appreciate what it is that you’re building.
What types of questions do you think AI raises when it comes to music creation, distribution, and marketing?
The recent advancements in AI technology have prompted a fascinating inquiry into its impact on the creative pursuits of musicians, particularly with regard to the authenticity of expressing genuine emotions through AI-generated lyrics. There is a debate on whether AI helps or hinders the creative process, and whether it leads to more emotionless music. There’s also the question of whether AI makes music production more accessible to individuals without specialized knowledge in music composition. It’s understandable that some artists have concerns about AI potentially replacing their artistic abilities, given that many individuals make a living through various creative fields such as songwriting, singing, producing, and mixing. Ultimately, the impact of AI on music creation remains an open question that warrants further exploration.
How do you foresee AI impacting the way artists create their music and the way fans consume it?
Songwriting is often a deeply personal and introspective process that can be hindered by writer’s block. In such cases, AI-generated prompts can serve as useful aids to help songwriters overcome creative hurdles and stimulate new ideas. However, if AI is solely responsible for generating lyrics, the resulting music may be perceived as lacking in emotional depth and authenticity. While some argue that AI-generated lyrics may result in more formulaic and emotionless music, others contend that AI can help songwriters more accurately express their intended feelings and emotions, which they may have struggled to find the right wording for.
Tao Romera (far right) and the Soundraw teamDarryl Milliner of SinceThe80s
Share your thoughts, questions, or concerns around AI and music for the coming months and years.
I think there’s going to be a shift in the creator industry. “Creators” are going to become more like “directors,” taking part in the whole process of creating a piece of work instead of specializing in one particular aspect. For example, until the emergence of AI, you had copywriters, illustrators, voiceover artists and music producers, to name a few of those specialized professionals. Thanks to AI, creators are going to be able to leverage a set of tools in order to create a piece of work. Specialized professionals are still going to be there because the AI tools and the new “directors”’ skills in each field will never be comparable, but it will allow a huge number of people to come up with pieces of work they would have never had the resources to create were it not thanks to the AI tools.
What types of questions do you think AI raises when it comes to music creation, distribution, and marketing?
In my opinion, the biggest question is about copyright infringement and how to properly compensate artists for their work in case their music has been used to train an AI model. It’s terrible that some companies are trying to make money on the back of artists by using their work to train an AI model and then sell works created by that AI.It’s terrible that some companies are trying to make money on the back of artists by using their work to train an AI model and then sell works created by that AI.
It’s terrible that some companies are trying to make money on the back of artists by using their work to train an AI model and then sell works created by that AI.
Soundraw’s AI engine has been trained exclusively on music generated in-house by our music producers, so the music generated by Soundraw is free from any copyright infringements. We respect the artists’ work.
How do you think AI will impact streaming services?
Depending on the genre, I think we will see a lot of AI-generated music occupying spaces in the streaming industry. For example, lo-fi music is a good candidate. But for music you want to properly listen to, as opposed to music you play in the background while you do something else, I don’t think AI will become relevant.
How do you foresee AI impacting the way artists create their music and the way fans consume it?
AI can actually be a great tool for artists, especially aspiring artists—people who can’t afford expensive beat lease licenses or a music producer/sound engineer. So rather than damaging the artists and the music industry, I think it’s going to have a very positive impact on it by allowing many more people to become artists and democratizing music creation.
AI technology provides many helpful applications, such as systems being used for composition through machine learning which can generate musical ideas or fragments that can then be refined by a human touch. There are also tools like LANDR which use AI to provide mastering services at affordable rates, a much more cost-efficient alternative to purchasing the necessary recording hardware and mastering software. AI algorithms are being used to create playlists on streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora.
AI tools are also being used by artists to create music, sounds, and references, as well as content. Content is vital for an artist to promote themselves, and AI content and art generators like Jasper.ai and Open.ai’s Dall-E are efficient and accurate systems. These programs are beneficial to artists and creatives as they save time, money, and keep the vision moving forward. Although AI technology has been used for many things in the music industry, I am still searching for a software that can take an uploaded song or sound and generate a piece of cover art or a visualizer based on the audio rather than a typed summary in a field box.
I would also like to mention that I used Playground AI to help me properly edit and get my ideas across more concisely in this letter.
Concerns:
My concerns regarding AI are that this software could begin to be used in a way that promotes full replacement of any human element or touch in this process. Creating music, marketing plans, and rollouts require cohesiveness but also a human experience. Finding ways to connect with fans, family, and friends through music is the one of the most important factors of why we all love and listen to music. It influences and inspires us with a feeling of love and compassion. I am not sure a machine can ever truly learn that, no matter what level of sophistication.
I have a concern that people will begin relying too much on this technology rather than going fully through the ups and downs of a creative process, which is usually what can be felt through the works once released. Keeping the human element and touch is essential and hopefully will never diminish.
Disclaimer: Opinion focused on music creation in particular, not about other ways AI can help artists.
I see the evolution of music and how it’s created and consumed as very similar to the evolution of the video space: Previously there was just Hollywood and PGC (100% access gated), then YouTube started and a few more people could create (via prosumer video editor, 10% access), then TikTok came out and way more creative people got access to simple tools to create videos (25% access). AI-generated music now will move access up to 90%.
AI will enable artists to share a much higher quantity of songs, and then have an increased chance to win in the sea/avalanche of mass UGC and AGC music that is about to flood the gates.
As we see with video and entertainment, Hollywood (PGC), Creator Videos (UGC) and now AGC (AI-curated content, e.g. Stable Diffusion) can co-exist, given lots of people have different tastes that are changing generationally. Similarly, professional music (PGM, labels, indie artists), creator music (UGM, e.g. mayk.it) and now AI-generated music (AGM) will co-exist. The timeline to move from PGC to AGC has been accelerated compared to video, where we almost skip the TikTok phase. When you flood the world with new stories and voices, now anyone can find stories that represent them, which wasn’t possible before for literally any niche.
Another important behavioral change that has already happened in the TikTok era is the commoditization of content. The game is mainly about quantity now—if you pump out 100 videos or songs a week, there is a good chance that one of them is going to be more successful and find its audience. In music we have been stuck in the library phase (Spotify, SoundCloud era = create perfect songs to last) and just started moving into this era last year. AI will help accelerate artist wins.
So will AI music replace musicians? Definitely not. It will enhance their workflow and help them focus on the most creative part of the song creation process: the core idea and feeling of the song. AI will enable artists to share (publish) a much higher quantity of songs to social media given the AI-assistance and then have an increased chance to win, given their creative capabilities, in the sea/avalanche of mass UGC and AGC music that is about to flood the gates. The best creative spark and relatable idea will continue to win. More artists can just play more and have more chances now.
Today, Spotify held their Spotify Stream On conference, which found them announcing a ton of upcoming changes to the app — some of which might surprise users.
“This marks the biggest change Spotify has undergone since we introduced mobile 10 years ago,” Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said, per The Hollywood Reporter. “This evolution is really about bringing Spotify to life.”
Chlöe Bailey, who appeared at the press event, revealed the new “Spotify Clips” service, which allows musicians to add 30-second videos to their profiles. “You can talk about an unreleased song, promote a new album, share the stories behind a song, or really anything you can come up with,” she said.
The streaming service has announced that they will now be adding autoplay for podcasts, which means that another episode will start playing automatically after the current one ends. The recommendations will also fit the user’s personalized interests. This continues a push for their podcasting and video section, as they are allowing those around the world to apply to use Spotify Labs for recording episodes and use Patreon as a payment partnership.
Spotify will also bring out “Previews,” which gives users audio and visual previews when they scroll down.
Some other new changes include the ability to use hashtags to search for music, a few of which reportedly are “#pop, #R&B, and #confident.” Users can view touring schedules for artists on the app under a new “Live Events” section.
Finally, they’re rolling out a new AI DJ that “will deliver a curated lineup of music alongside commentary around the tracks and artists we think you’ll like in a stunningly realistic voice,” according to the company’s website.
Young Guru recently took to Instagram where he showed concern over a video where someone used a Kendrick Lamar AI voice filter to make their voice sound like the Compton MC’s.
“This has dominated my Howard group chat for a couple days,” Guru said in the caption. “Ok I’m at the point where I can voice my concerns with our current state of AI. I have followed as many versions of what AI could do for some years now. I remember being at MIT and students showing me a project where they were actively feeding a computer ‘All’ the jazz records that ever existed. So that AI could analyze and create music in any style of any musician. I didn’t think we would get here this fast with the voice.”
He added that while he thinks the technology is impressive, he cant but think what could happen if or even when this technology gets into the wrong hands, saying that we are in a “very groundbreaking and dangerous moment.”
“Of course my mind goes to the ethical and legal aspects of what can be done with programs like Tacotron 2. You add that to the power of ChatGPT and you realize we are in a very groundbreaking but dangerous moment. It’s not the tech, it’s the evil that men do with the tech. There are legal aspects because at this present moment you can’t copyright a voice.”
He then envisioned a scenario where someone could use AI technology to make a song with their favorite rapper’s voice, or even worse. “The ability to create a Manchurian Candidate scares me. Think about that in every industry,” he continued. “There are still states that don’t even have a law against revenge porn. I’m sorry to go there but imagine the repercussion on our kids when 5 years from now some high school kid gets mad at his ex-girlfriend and creates a whole ‘deep fake’ that sounds and looks real. Imagine the political landscape where we can’t believe anything we hear because someone will claim they didn’t say it.”
Guru concluded by pushing for laws that prevent AI from being used in certain ways, but adding that we’re just getting started and have yet to see all that will come with AI.
“I don’t even want to continue giving examples for fear that someone will go out and do it. The law has to change to protect everyone not just Public Figures,” he wrote. “And the super scary part is that we are just getting started, we feed the beast constantly everyday with more and more content to be studied. Maybe the Luddites had a point. The book by Gavin Mueller Breaking Things At Work starts to take on a way more urgent role!!”
LeBron James continues to be the most famous player in the NBA. Even in his 20th season, LeBron has managed to impress fans with his play. While the Lakers have certainly struggled at times, there is no doubt that he can play at a high level. Additionally, he still has plenty of records to break.
When LeBron decides to retire from the game, it is going to be to the detriment of the league. Subsequently, the NBA will have to find a new face. It is not going to be easy to do, however, the league has a few years to prepare itself for that upcoming reality.
LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots over Caris LeVert #3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on December 06, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Lakers 115-100. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
LeBron James Hop On New Trend
If you have been on social media as of late, you know that Artificial Intelligence seems to be all the rage. AI art is sweeping the world, and a lot of artists are upset about it, with good reason. However, a lot of people are into the new trend, including LeBron James it seems.
For instance, there is a new program that will take a photo of you and then turn you into a piece of art. James recently did this and posted the results on his Instagram page. Consequently, the results are actually quite unique. Below, you can find a series of images that depict LeBron in various outfits.
The topic of AI art is a huge discourse in art circles right now. Many believe this type of art is lifeless, and ultimately takes away from those who actually have the talent to make art on their own. Overall, it is yet another case of technology replacing human beings.
Give us your take on the AI art trend, in the comments below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from around the sports world.
.” In the accompanying video, we see Hit-Boy sitting in the studio, nodding along as West’s computer-generated voice spits out the lyrics.
.” Revisit the original cut of “2 Certified” featuring Avelino below, and tell us which version you prefer in the comments.
(@kingjames)
