FN Meka, the racist AI ‘rapper,’ is a symptom of a bigger problem

Capitol Records has been at the center of controversy over the last few weeks after “signing” an artificial intelligence rapper. The “artist,” named FN Meka, was created in 2019 by music manager Anthony Martini and video game artist Brandon Le. The character looks like a mashup of rappers 6ix9ine and Trippie Redd, with a hint of Kevin Gates. Capitol Records faced criticism from activists this week for using the N-word and for a post from its now-private Instagram account that depicted a virtual police officer beating up the so-called robot rapper. Ja’han Jones: Putting powerful technologies in the hands of well-funded-yet-woefully-uncreative people leads to awful outcomes. . . .