Rhymes of the machines: A.I. rapper FN Meka dropped from label for being a racist a-- robot

Robots! They're just like us — because they can get cancelled, too, apparently.

Virtual rapper FN Meka made FN headlines when it was signed by Capitol Records, who claimed it was the "first AR artist" to sign with a major label. A few weeks later, FN Meka became the "first AR artist" to be dropped by a major label, after a backlash noting that this was virtually some 21st century blackface s---.

Capitol Records

"CMG has severed ties with the FN Meka project, effective immediately," Capitol Music Group said in a statement to EW. "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. 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."

FN Meka is a product of Factory New, a "media company focused solely on virtual and digital talent," co-founder Anthony Martini told Music Business News last year. FN Meka was their first character, designed by Martini's business partner Brandon Le, "using thousands of data points compiled from video games and social media."

Social media and video games? Why no one ever uses offensive language or crude stereotypes there — what could go wrong?

So what is FN Meka's artistic (if you can call it that) process? According to Martini, they "developed a proprietary AI technology that analyzes certain popular songs of a specified genre and generates recommendations for the various elements of song construction: lyrical content, chords, melody, tempo, sounds, etc. We then combine these elements to create the song."

Fun fact: That's how Stevie Wonder made Songs in the Key of Life.

Since that interview, FN Meka has amassed more than 10 million followers on Tik Tok, where the music industry goes for ideas and where creativity goes to die. Capitol was eager to sign the robot rapper, with Ryan Ruden, CMG's Executive Vice President of Experiential Marketing & Business Development, touting it as "just a preview of what's to come".

Activist collective Industry Blackout issued a statement after the news of the signing spread, calling FN Meka "an amalgamation of gross stereotypes, appropriative mannerisms that derive from Black artists, complete with slurs infused in lyrics."

FN Meka, or rather the creators of FN Meka, have been criticized for mimicking police brutality and for using the N-word on songs like 2019's "Moonwalkin'." The automated emcee's major label debut single "Florida Water" features recently arrested rapper Gunna, who was indicted, partially, over his lyrics and social media posts for conspiring to violate the RICO laws.

Industry Blackout noted that Gunna 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."

The activists demanded the termination of CMG's and FN Meka's partnership, as well as a public apology, and FN Meka's removal from all platforms. Capitol complied with the first two but it's doubtful FN Meka, or other virtual artists, are going anywhere. Factory New's Anthony Martini wants to be the MCU of the recording industry, "creating a universe of music characters."

Well, if Marvel has proven anything, it's that formulaic rehashing of familiar material is big business. Even if it's really all just a bunch of tennis balls on sticks.

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