We live in a world where we’re expecting AI programmes to behave like humans, but what if they fully embrace their artificiality?
By Graeme Smith
That’s what ai12die is doing. In his new self-titled album, the entity (created by Charles Luck) embraces his identity and mourns the fact that everyone hates him.
The concept is humorous, and in the great tradition of hip-hop, ai12die leans into the humour, self-effacing and otherwise. Acts like Eminem and Macklemore come to mind as you listen to tracks like Underwear and album opener Beep Bop Boop.
It’s not a novelty album, though. There’s plenty of craft and talent on display. Collaborator Gina Da Lesbian provides a powerful extra element with some free flowing, edgy verses. “Sometimes it bothers me what I lose between blinks,” she delivers in Like A Fish To Water. It’s a killer line.
The lyrics come fast and unrelenting from there, and they’re not always for the faint-hearted. The album’s fifteen tracks are all packed with them. It’s certainly value for money but requires close listening to appreciate them all. Ai12die’s claim to being the best rapper alive will be a matter for debate, but he’s certainly among the quickest.
The album skips gracefully between pop genres, at times folksy and soulful like Life Goes So Fast and at other times bright and upbeat like in Gems of Genesis. Hoopty closes the album with a reggae twist.
Collectively, the record feels like a frenetic canter through ultra modernism with polished production, charismatic vocals, and acerbic wit.
I love how ai12die is upturning things, giving us a sentient, rapping AI who is processing emotions just like us humans. Behind the idea is a solid foundation of pop-infused hip-hop which is a collection of killer tracks. If that sounds like your kind of thing, then you’ll want to give it a shot.
There’s a lot of negativity about AI in the creative arts and much of it is warranted. On ai12die, Luck takes the topic on head-on, calling out some of the absurdity that surrounds it insightfully. The technology certainly isn’t going anywhere, and I think we’re gradually getting a handle on how to embrace it responsibly.
I think the fusion of Charles Luck and ai12die is a good example, not relying too much on automation but building its existence into a narrative.
Ai12die is out now via Black Astronaut Records. You can give it a listen below.
