Lupe Fiasco has crossed into several different crafts and genres, and his latest collaboration marks another first as he’s composed a new song with help from artificial intelligence.
On Wednesday (August 2), the Chicago MC posted a behind-the-scenes video of him working on a track with AI-generated assists. This is a demonstration of his partnership with Google to develop a tool that leans into his belief that “rap is born out of technology.”
AD LOADING...
“Glass of Water is a song I wrote in just under 2 hours using TextFX, a suite of experimental AI tools I created in collaboration with Google,” the video’s caption reads. “These tools were inspired by some of the lyrical and linguistic techniques I have developed over 20 years of writing Raps. But TextFX won’t write Raps for you.
“Instead, these tools are designed to empower your writing, provide creative possibilities and help you see text in new ways. Like with any tool, you still need to bring your own creativity and skillset to them.”
AD LOADING...
In the video, he clarifies: “It does require you to do the work — it’s not doing the work for you. It’s just providing you with different opportunities and workflow.”
“Glass of Water” hasn’t been officially released yet, but check out the 41-year-old wordsmith performing it toward the end of the video below.
“This is dope and scary at the same time,” one person commented the YouTube post. “Because it’s him and we know how creative and lyrical he is, I won’t ever question anything he records. I greatly appreciate how he was able to be clear as to how HE was using this software to make this song but I feel like we’re gonna get a bunch of new dudes that will abuse this thing smh.”
Another user wrote: “This is amazing not that you’re using AI but this is amazing. You’re teaching music while making it while scrambling a genuine lyrical song. You sir are a genius of music. Not 1 rapper comes to your level. You develop and reintegration yourself to a time. Almost as if you’re from the future.”
However, not everyone is thrilled about the growing popularity of AI in music. Last month, Ice Cube spoke out against the trend and its implications regarding creativity.
During an interview with Piers Morgan, the former N.W.A. rapper was asked about artificial intelligence and how it is now being used to replicate styles and personalities without any human touch. Cube, without skipping a beat, expressed that he is entirely against the concept.
“I think it’s terrible,” Ice Cube said. “I think it’s gon’ make people lazier, less creative.”
AD LOADING...
He further illustrated his point by drawing a parallel with on-screen acting, adding: “Could you imagine if I decided not to do a sequel and the movie company said: ‘We have the rights to your likeness. We gon’ put you in this sequel whether you want to be or not ’cause we have the right to.’
“So now they use AI to put Ice Cube in a movie I don’t want to be in, saying things I don’t wanna say and doin’ thing I wouldn’t do, so to me, that’s terrible … or taking an artist that’s passed away and having him do a new song with lyrics that they may not agree with — it’s a slippery slope that will hurt us more than it will help us.”
