Tyga confirmed that he used AI as “tool” on his new album $tarface, likening it to the use of Auto-Tune, NME shared. The Californian rapper released his ninth studio album on July 31, with the record taking influences from ’80s synthpop as the artist debuted his $tarface persona. Some fans speculated that some of the electronic sounds across the album might have been made with AI, and now Tyga has confirmed those rumors in an interview with Vibe.
“I’ve never spoken on this with anybody because I always felt like it’s similar to a magician explaining how he does his tricks,” Tyga explained. “Like why are people overexplaining how they make shit that’s good? If you like it, you like it; if you don’t, you don’t. I don’t care. It’s supposed to give you an experience and a feeling.” He continued, “But we definitely used AI as a [tool]. And I know people are going to be mad about me saying this, but it’s where technology is going. It’s no different than when Auto-Tune came out. Some people were opposed to it, but real artists took it and used it.”
When asked where the AI was used, Tyga replied, “We were like, you know what? I need some ’80s synths for a certain part of this song. I need a guitar solo done ASAP. It is what it is.” The rapper went on to clarify that production on the album and “all the vocals” were created without AI.
The use of AI is one of the most contentious topics in music today. Earlier this week, Empire Of The Sun’s Luke Steele said that “of course” he uses AI in his music, calling it “just another tool” and comparing it to “a really smart guitar pedal.” Boy George also said he used AI to help write his pro-Israel reggae song “We Will Dance Again,” which was eventually removed from Bandcamp for violating its AI rules. Others, including SZA and Lorde, have been more critical of the growing influence of AI, with Jack Antonoff slamming musicians who use it as “godless whores.”
Photo Credit: Brandy Hornback
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