- Ice Cube has criticized AI-generated music, as well as platforms that distribute it.
- The rapper called AI-generated music demonic during an appearance on the Full Send podcast.
- Other musicians, including Drake, have also spoken out against the music.
Ice Cube has spoken out against AI-generated music amid a recent boom in the content.
The rapper, whose real name is O’Shea Jackson Sr, called AI-generated music “demonic” during an appearance on the Full Send podcast.
Discussing the rise of AI-generated songs, he said: “I think AI is demonic, I think AI is going to get a backlash from real people.”
“I don’t wanna hear an AI Drake song,” he continued. “He should sue whoever made it.”
The rapper suggested he would sue both “the people and the platform” who made and distributed AI-generated music in his style. “Somebody can’t take your original voice and manipulate it without having to pay,” he said.
A song generated in the style of Drake and the Weeknd went viral last month, sparking a debate around the ethics of producing the content. Some musicians, including Drake, have spoken out against the practice while others indicated they planned to embrace the new technology.
Frank Ocean fans were recently duped into shelling out thousands for “leaked tracks” that turned out to be AI-generated, per Discord messages and forum posts reviewed by Motherboard.
Earlier this month, Grimes unveiled Elf.Tech, software that lets users make music in her voice and style. The work can be commercially released as long as artists split the master-recording royalties with the singer.
Some major record labels and streaming platforms have already indicated they will work to stamp out AI-generated content or at least protect artists from unwanted imitation, per the FT.
In a separate article, the FT also reported this month that Spotify removed thousands of songs generated using the AI startup Boomy, which allows users to gain royalties from streams.
Ice Cube did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
