“Robot rapper” FN Meka has signed a deal with music label Capitol Records, as reported by Music Business Worldwide. He recently released his new single, “Florida Water,” featuring guest appearances from rapper Gunna and popular gaming streamer Clix.
The Virtual Rapper is the brainchild of Anthony Martini and Brandon Le. They are the co-founders of Factory New, the virtual label that created the first robotic rapper. According to Martini, his voice is a real human, but everything else is based on an AI system. It is an artificial intelligence technology modeled on the neural network of the brain.
“Technically, FN Meka is a male voice,” Martini told Music Business Worldwide. “But everything else – from its lyrics to the chords and tempo that underpin its music – is powered by AI.”
Virtual luxury
FN Meka already has a large fan base and is very popular on social media. A year after his “virtual birthday”, he has amassed 10 million subscribers in the TikTok app and more than a billion views on YouTube. On his TikTok, FN Meka invites fans into his virtual world, where there are luxuries such as: expensive cars, helicopters and a machine that turns ice cream into watches.
Internet users outraged
FN Meka’s recording contract announcement was not without controversy. People objected to the “rapper’s” use of language considered racist. The bot’s creators have also been accused of perpetuating harmful stereotypes on social media. In one of the Instagram posts, a policeman can be seen beating up a “rapper” in a jail cell. Internet users are outraged and demand that the bot be removed from the music scene and the Internet.
Ryan Ruden (Vice Chairman of Capitol Music Group) spoke. He sees the partnership with FN Meka as “the future of fusing music with technology”. “It’s a combination of music, technology and gaming culture,” he told Music Business Worldwide. “This is just a preview of what’s to come,” he added.
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