Tyga is not backing away from the controversy surrounding his new album. In a new interview with VIBE, the rapper confirmed that he used artificial intelligence as a production tool on $tarface, his latest project and introduction to a new '80s-influenced alter ego.
Fans had already begun speculating online this week that the album relied on AI. Tyga addressed the claims directly.
According to Rolling Stone, Tyga told VIBE: "I've never spoken on this with anybody because I always felt like it's similar to a magician explaining how he does his tricks. Like why are people overexplaining how they make shit that's good? If you like it, you like it; if you don't, you don't. I don't care. It's supposed to give you an experience and a feeling. But we definitely used AI as a [tool]. And I know people are going to be mad about me saying this, but it's where technology is going. It's no different than when Auto-Tune came out. Some people were opposed to it, but real artists took it and used it. We were like, 'You know what? I need some '80 synths for a certain part of this song. I need a guitar solo done ASAP.' It is what it is. But as far as the writing, all the vocals are all me. There's nothing wrong with using technology as a tool."
Tyga said that after 15 years of hits, outside criticism does not concern him. His new persona, $tarface, he said, "could do whatever the fuck he wants to do. He's on his own wave. He's above it all. It's a completely different thing."
The admission comes at a charged moment for AI in rap. Fenix Flexin's single "Rubberz" has been generating significant backlash, with fans divided over allegations that the song was made entirely using AI. Flexin has denied those claims. Tyga and Flexin collaborated on an unreleased track called "Lavish," which added further speculation to the conversation.
Tyga explained how the collaboration came together. "We just did the 'Lavish' record. But when he came to the studio, I was already deep into working on my '80s-sounding music," he told VIBE. "So, when I saw what he was doing, I was like, 'Oh, this is fire! We should do this record together because I see you on a similar wave.'"
$tarface is out now.
