Image: FN Meka, Capitol Records
On Aug. 12, Capitol Records was touting the fact that they had made the first-ever signing of a virtual rap artist. Then two weeks later the label announced it had dropped the robot rapper FN Mek and issued an apology to the Black community.
FN Meka is a robot rapper mostly generated by a computer other than a voice based on a real human, Newsweek reported. Meka was developed in 2019 by Anthony Martini, who is white, and Brandon Le of the company Factory New. The rapper, which uses artificial intelligence, was an instant social media success, gaining more than 10.3 million followers and over a billion views on TikTok. Meka’s voice is most supplied by rapper Kyle the Hooligan, as revealed by Genius’s Jacques Morel.
In a side scandal, Kyle said he has yet to be compensated as promised by Factory News.
Following the backlash of its singing, Capitol issued a statement about canceling the contract.
“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,” the label said.
According to Variety, the statement also read:
“CMG has severed ties with the FN Meka project, effective immediately. 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,” Kyle posted on Instagram.
He added, “We thank those who have reached out to us with constructive feedback in the past couple of days — your input was invaluable as we came to the decision to end our association with the project.”
There were several reasons why many thought FN Meka was a bad idea. For one, it uses AI, which has been proven to have racist overtones. In several studies, AI identified Black people as primates.
Another reason, many blasted the stereotypical image of FN Meka. He looks like a cyborg with green hair and glowing green lights for eyes. He has lots of tattoos, wears a massive gold chain, and has a hand made of gold.
But one of the main reasons was that the robot rapper used the n-word in one of its songs. While it just released a new single called “Florida Water” featuring Gunna, Meka’s 2019 song “Moonwalkin” uses the n-word. This caused a major controversy after users found out that no one on the team behind FN Meka was Black, BET reported.
The lyrics to “Moonwalkin'” read:
Yo, bro, I just got a DM
You won’t believe what it says!
Hahahahaha
This ain’t gonna kill me, hahahaha
[Hook]
Moonwalkin’ with a shawty in the lobby (Shawty)
Moonwalkin’ with a shawty in the lobby
Feel like Hank Hill when I raise the Bobby (Bobby)
I don’t see no niggas like we playin’ hockey (Hockey)
Moonwalkin’ with a shawty in the lobby
Moonwalkin’ with a shawty in the lobby (Haha)
Feel like church, how your spirit leave your body (Good Lord)
Fuck your idol, I look up to John Gotti (Yuh, yuh)
[Verse 1]
Big sticks like I’m [?] (Boom, boom!)
Too deep like clowns in minivan (Clown)
[?] best in many men (Any men)
When you steppin’ on me, come get me, man (Grrah)
I’on got shit for a broke nigga
I’on got shit for a gold digger
Get this yeah, just smoke and mirrors (Bitch)
Got yo dogs’ puppy, why you haven’t get it (Fuck yeah, boom!)
[Refrain]
Boom, everybody silent in the room (Yeah, yeah)
I’m like Undertaker, I’ll take you to the tomb (Yeah, yeah)
Boom, I’m [?]
Done bein’ nice, make it turn into a [?] (Haha)
Boom, police on my back, hot pursuit (Skrr)
Know that they mad that this A.I. gettin’ [?] (Fucker)
Boom, clout chaser brainwashed news (Clout, clout)
Catch me on the city slidin’ on an avenue
[Hook]
Moonwalkin’ with a shawty in the lobby (Shawty)
Moonwalkin’ with a shawty in the lobby
Feel like Hank Hill when I raise the Bobby (Bobby)
I don’t see no niggas like we playin’ hockey (Hockey)
Moonwalkin’ with a shawty in the lobby
Moonwalkin’ with a shawty in the lobby (Haha)
Feel like church, how your spirit body
Fuck your idol, all I got’s the [?] (Yuh, yuh)
[Verse 2]
I’m too lit, gotta move the street (Street)
Fuckin’ on a bitch out in Tenessesee (Yeah)
I’m a A.I., I’m a different beast (Beast)
Watch yo whole life, think I’m on a team
Chains so cold, they can ski (Woo)
Fuck a [?], can’t even see me in a vee
Shawty show me slow whenever she in trees (Oh my god)
Can’t let it sucker drive, know she a flee, goddamn (Goddamn)
[Refrain]
Boom, everybody silent in the room (Yeah, yeah)
I’m like Undertaker, I’ll take you to the tomb (Yeah, yeah)
Boom, I’m [?]
Done bein’ nice, make it turn into a [?] (Haha)
Boom, police on my back, hot pursuit (Skrr)
Know that they mad that this A.I. gettin’ [?] (Fucker)
Boom, clout chaser brainwashed news (Clout, clout)
Catch me on the city slidin’ on an avenue
[Hook]
Moonwalkin’ with a shawty in the lobby (Shawty)
Moonwalkin’ with a shawty in the lobby
Feel like Hank Hill when I raise the Bobby (Bobby)
I don’t see no niggas like we playin’ hockey (Hockey)
Moonwalkin’ with a shawty in the lobby
Moonwalkin’ with a shawty in the lobby (Haha)
Feel like church how your spirit body
Fuck your idol, all I got’s the [?] (Yuh, yuh)
While the use of the n-word by Meka caused a scandal for Capitol Records, some observers wonder if drill rap is worse.
Drill music, which some critics say glorifies killing, has led to the death of several drill rappers. The rap genre’s name even references killing–drill as in shooting someone. Some cities, such as New York City, are considering putting a ban on drill. Several veteran hip-hop artists have spoken out against drill.
Dr. Wesley Muhammad, a student minister in the Nation of Islam, recently said, The difference between drill music today and so-called gangsta rap of the 90s [is] most of that gangsterism was studio. Most of the gangster rappers weren’t gangster before they got in the studio.”
Muhammad continued, “They were handed a script and they morphed into gangsterism as a performance. With drill music, the death is real. The blood feud is real and it’s hard to tell is life imitating art or art imitating life.”
Image: FN Meka, Capitol Records
