It is all but confirmed that “Rubberz,” the Billboard Hot 100-charting song by Los Angeles rapper Fenix Flexin, was generated using AI. Inspired by music producer Medasin’s Instagram takedown of the song from last week, music writers and YouTubers are making their cases for why this bit of Human League-meets-Drake circa “Hotline Bling” was likely prompted rather than produced.
Flexin claims to have produced the song manually, going so far as to show off production stems, but for our purposes, it’s worth noting that “Rubberz” would never have a chance to drill into your ear without San Francisco.
Flexin, a member of the West Coast rap crew Shoreline Mafia, released “Rubberz” in June through San Francisco indie label Empire, whose massive headquarters sits at 1 Montgomery St. After catching traction (and suspicion) online, Medasin’s Instagram video claimed that “Rubberz” was created using a tiny SF-based AI free AI-service called Treblo that currently employs four people. Treblo’s website boasts “Turn any idea into a full song.”
In a statement to Gazetteer, Treblo co-founder Ryan Tremblay said that the track was likely entirely generated using this service.
“Someone appears to have used our model to find a sound that millions of people connected with and that's exciting,” he said in an emailed statement Wednesday.
Flexin vehemently denies any use of AI, but given the evidence and the uncanny valley feel of “Rubberz,” it seems the rapper doth protest too much.
Empire, the increasingly influential label that Flexin is signed to, has remained mum on the whole thing. (A representative for the label has yet to get back to us.)
Judging from comments he’s made in the past, Empire CEO Ghazi Shami probably doesn’t have any qualms. In a January interview with the private equity firm Sixth Street, Shami sounded excited about generative AI burrowing its way into the music industry.
“I’m trying to say this in the most constructive way possible, if you’re not using AI in some way, shape, or form in the music business, you’re going to be at a severe competitive disadvantage,” he told Sixth Street co-president David Stiepleman.
