Timbaland, the mastermind behind some of the biggest hits of the ’90s and 2000s, is entering a new chapter that has many concerned.
The superproducer has teamed up with film producer Rocky Mudaliar and entrepreneur Zayd Portillo to launch Stage Zero, a new AI-focused entertainment company. Their first signing? An AI artist named TaTa, created in partnership with the music technology company Suno.
While the idea is futuristic, Timbaland has made it clear that he sees AI as the next evolution in music. In a conversation with NBA star Victor Oladipo on his podcast “The Inner Court” earlier this year, Timbaland declared that AI music is “the only thing that has a pure soul right now.”
Still, his fans aren’t sold. After posting the announcement on Instagram, the backlash rolled in fast. “Congratulations! You are the first to openly admit to ruining music more than it already is,” one user wrote.
Many people expressed concerns that Timbaland is using the music of independent artists to train his AI musician. However, he has denied such allegations.
