Timbaland is dealing with heavy criticism after unveiling a controversial music video that includes his AI-created artist, TaTa Taktumi.

Timbaland ignited a firestorm on-line after unveiling a music video that includes his AI-generated artist TaTa Taktumi, whose lyrics and cultural portrayal have drawn widespread criticism.

The tremendous producer dropped the video by way of his AI-centered firm StageZero regardless of dealing with backlash after introducing TaTa Taktumi in June.

The character’s debut observe consists of the strains: “I put ice on my shooter / he gonna duck immigration / b*tch I’m back now / check my stats now.” The lyrics rapidly raised considerations over cultural appropriation and the ethics of utilizing synthetic intelligence to simulate Black identification.

Social media customers didn’t maintain again. One publish on X learn, “Using AI to create a non-Black artist to embody Black culture just so you can exploit without guilt is f###### insane.”

Another person added, “Timbaland destroying his own legacy wasn’t in my 2025 cards.” A 3rd merely wrote, “He’s a super loser for this omg.”

In an interview with Variety final month, Timbaland defended the venture and insisted it’s extra human than folks assume.

“The video is 85% human-made; I’m only utilizing AI about 15% or less,” he stated.

He additionally described TaTa Taktumi as an thrilling, inventive property, saying, “TaTa’s gonna shock the world, man. I don’t want to reveal too much yet, but it ain’t what people think.”

He likened the idea to Disney and stated he’s “blurring the lines.”

The backlash follows Timbaland’s earlier AI ventures, together with the launch of StageZero, which focuses on AI-driven leisure.

The firm has partnered with Suno, a music platform at the moment being sued by the Recording Industry Association of America for alleged copyright violations, in accordance withmusic-generators-alleging-copyright-infr-rcna158660″> NBC News.

Despite the criticism, Timbaland continues to champion AI as a inventive device relatively than a substitute for human artistry. “I don’t generate music like that because you still need the human element. I just use it to enhance other aspects of my music,” he instructed Variety.

He additionally emphasised that mastering AI isn’t any completely different from mastering conventional manufacturing. “It’s similar to traditional music: If you don’t grasp it well enough, you won’t achieve your desired outcome.”

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