Generative AI is creating a new fault line in the music industry, using San Francisco-based independent label Empire as a case study. Empire has become one of the biggest independent labels in the U.S., but two recent releases—Fenix Flexin’s “Rubberz” and Tyga’s “$TARFACE”—have drawn criticism after the artists acknowledged using AI in their production. The controversy highlights the growing tension between technological experimentation and expectations of authenticity in music.
Fenix Flexin’s “Rubberz” is particularly notable because it became an unexpected success despite sounding very different from his usual trap-oriented work. The song uses an Italo-disco style and AI-generated elements, and it eventually charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Flexin initially denied using AI but later acknowledged it, while the AI company Treblo reportedly confirmed that its technology had been used. This illustrates an important shift: AI-assisted music is no longer confined to obscure experiments—it can reach mainstream audiences and achieve commercial success.
Tyga's “$TARFACE” generated a similar controversy. The album moves away from his conventional hip-hop sound toward 1980s-style synth-pop and disco, and Tyga initially emphasized traditional production techniques before later confirming that AI had been used as a tool. He compared AI to Auto-Tune, arguing that new technologies often face resistance before artists learn how to incorporate them creatively. Critics were far less enthusiastic: Pitchfork gave the album a 0.0 rating, criticizing its musical execution and lack of connection to the genres it attempts to imitate.
The deeper issue is therefore not simply “AI music vs. human music.” It is about transparency, artistic identity and what audiences believe they are paying for. Using AI as one tool within a human-led creative process may eventually become as ordinary as Auto-Tune, digital synthesizers or sampling. But when AI substantially generates the sound, questions arise about disclosure, authorship and whether an artist's name still represents the creative work audiences expect. Empire's situation shows that the music industry's AI debate has moved beyond hypothetical concerns: AI-generated and AI-assisted music is already competing for attention, chart positions and revenue—and audiences are now deciding what they think counts as authentic creativity.
