Swizz Beatz has come to Timbaland’s defense as he’s facing backlash for his use of AI. Timbaland is planning a record label and looking to sign an AI artist. According to Swizz, Timbaland’s Verzuz collaborator, this is a great move for th future of music.
“I’m happy that Tim is into AI,” Swizz said during a conversation on a live stream featuring Timbo, Young Guru, and 19Keys. “Because all the white people are in it. Why we can’t get in it? I don’t care how. It’s not how you start; it’s how you finish. So this is Tim’s entry point into AI. Whether we like it or not, it’s an entry point.”
“That’s a hell of an announcement,” Swizz added. “When I seen it, people hit me I’m like ‘God damn. I ain’t speak to Tim about this. I would’ve given him a couple of different ways to go about it.’ […] I respect you as your own boss but we can always communicate. Our people are delicate, and we have to be patient with our people because they act like they know, but they really don’t know.”
When he became the target of the backlash, Timbaland began trolling everyone who was not feeling his latest move by releasing a video of his new AI artist TaTa.
While Swizz may be in favor of the idea, many expressed their dismay over Timbo’s decision.
“You call it trolling, but the moves you are making are not jokes,” British DJ Shy FX wrote in the comments of Tim’s post. “They are choices, and they come at the cost of real artists who are already fighting to be seen and heard.”
“You showed your colours when you attempted to make a song using Biggie’s AI-generated voice,” he added. “You made it even clearer by partnering with Suno, whose founder has been very vocal about wanting to replace musicians, not support them. And now this? This isn’t disruption. It’s a cash-in.”
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