Capitol Records drops AI rapper FN Meka amid social media outrage
2 min read
Capitol Records have broken ties with AI rapper FN Meka less than two weeks after they added the computer-generated rap artist to their roster.
Here is everything you need to know.
Capitol Records walks away from AI rapper project
Capitol Records recently announced that they are dropping FN Meka, a virtual rapper.
The decision comes after FN Meka received criticism for its racist stereotypes. He came under fire for appropriating the Black community. Furthermore, he allegedly mocked police brutality.
A representative for the major record label released a statement on Tuesday to confirm the news.
They wrote, ‘CMG has severed ties with the FN Meka project, effective immediately.’
Capitol Music Group further added, ‘We offer our deepest apologies to the Black community for our insensitivity in signing this project without asking enough questions about equity and the creative process behind it.’
Moreover, they said, ‘We thank those who have reached out to us with constructive feedback in the past couple of days. Your input was invaluable as we decided to end our association with the project.’
Why did the AI rapper FN Meka come under fire?
Certain music fans accused FN Meka of stealing from the Black community after Capitol announced that they have signed a deal with the AI rapper.
A Social media user shared a picture on the internet showing FN Meka being beaten by a virtual cop in prison.
The virtual rapper outlined the post with a caption that read, ‘This guard keeps beating me w/ his baton because I won’t snitch. I ain’t no rat. Life in prison is so depressing.’
Moreover, Industry Blackout also addressed the issue on Tuesday.
UPDATE! Capitol Records has officially dropped “Artificial Intelligence Rapper” FN Meka after several days of backlash. This is the fastest a rapper has ever been dropped from a label. pic.twitter.com/bQudap1LIz
— SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) August 23, 2022
They shared, ‘This digital effigy is a careless abomination and disrespectful to real people who face real consequences in real life.’
The collective further mentioned, ‘For example, Gunna, a Black artist who is featured on a song, is currently incarcerated for rapping the same type of lyrics this robot mimics. The difference is, your artificial rapper will not be subject to federal charges for such.’
Additionally, the group has previously asked social media users to share black squares due to George Floyd’s murder.
Meanwhile, a user commented, ‘The AI rapper is the natural progression of the digital blackface I’ve been talking about for years.’
A second user chimed in saying, ‘fn Meka is literally just blackface lmao there isn’t any nuance.’
