Method Man has concerns about the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
In an interview on Hot97, the rap artist cited several reasons for his positive attitude towards the technology. One of his reasons was Drake’s single “Taylor Made Freestyle,” which was a dig at Compton’s Kendrick Lamar. It also featured AI-generated audio with lyrics by the late Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg.
“Kendrick, we need you, the savior of the West Coast/We gotta etch your name in hip-hop history/If you’re so vicious about it… Call him a bitch to me/Talk about him liking young girls as a gift to me,” read an AI-generated lyric by Tupac Shakur in the song’s introduction, according to Rolling Stone.
According to NBC News, the song was later removed from Drake after Shakur’s estate said it was prepared to take legal action.
Method Man says the song is one of the reasons he’s wary of AI. He also mentions challenges related to intellectual property (IP) and streaming that further complicate things for him.
“I’m still trying to understand AI, but I’ve seen some things that have made me suspicious – the Drake diss with the (fake) 2Pac and Snoop, the fake Kendrick (diss songs). There’s a lot to it,” he said in an interview with Hot97. “I mean, I think it goes a lot deeper than that, especially when it comes to IPs of artists from my era. Because honestly, I’ve never gotten a streaming check for my music.”
Despite all the resistance, Method Man doesn’t completely remove AI from his list.
He added: “Like I said, I’m still trying to figure all this out because maybe there’s someone who can make a perfect mix of the two. I’m not saying you should embrace it, but you should at least make art out of it and I’m always for that, for the creative part.”
