Let’s talk about the art of artifacts. Fenix Flexin’s “Rubberz” are all over the internet right now. Phoenix is a member of Shoreline Mafia and has been known for this type of tough-talking party rap for the last seven or eight years. This is a solo single and bears no resemblance to anything he has made in the past. Of course, people are talking about, “Is this AI?” Why does a guy who usually raps about tough conversations on the street and tough love in the sheets suddenly look like Morrissey? On the Internet, Phoenix Flexin said: “I didn’t use AI. Maybe a little Autotune here and there, but everyone knows I love the Smiths.” And look, that might be true. I love The Smiths too, but when I hear these words, I feel like they’re emphasizing the wrong syllables. All these words are crammed into a space they weren’t intended for. Should I move to Bay Ridge? – Isn’t that what you say every time? – know. When you listen to this, it’s clear that you’re listening to the Smiths and the Human League in the same way as the great British sentimentalists of the 1980s. You can also hear “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” I also listen to a bit of Los Angeles electro from the early to mid-1980s. Egyptian lovers and their ilk. I will say that one of the things that bugs me a little about the discourse surrounding this song is the assumption that someone like Phoenix Flexin would never make a song like this. I think everyone needs to check their assumptions. That being said, there are big questions about the amount of technological enhancements, and in some cases AI, that are allowed in the biggest blockbusters. It’s not really a question of “or not.” Just then. It’s not a question of how little, it’s a question of how much. In my case, I’m ready to be impressed by machines, at least some days. Aiiii, it’s hot! – Come on, dude. The TV had no temperature.
