Fans and content makers are using artificial intelligence to create elaborate fantasy creations, like the perfect 1990s Justice League trailer and cast. Sometimes these pieces can be a little wilder than usual. Consider this video in which C-3PO raps about the “Gold Gang,” which includes non-canon Star Wars characters, from Elon Musk and Pope Francis to Snoop Dogg and Mickey Mouse.
C3PO x Childish Gambino 🤖 👑
100% AI (Official Music Video)@openAI + @runwayml + @suno_ai_ + @Similar + @fable_motion + @The middle of a journey + @topazlabs pic.twitter.com/V4M2llq8LD
— Eckler by Design ✦ (@daniel_eckler) April 11, 2024
Posted in X (previously known as). twitter) This AI-generated video by user @daniel_eckler packs a lot of action into its 2 minute 11 second runtime. The clip depicts a protocol droid in a money-themed rap show boasting personal power, wealth, and influence in a vein similar to his C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels' performance in the Star Wars movies. I am reinterpreting it as an artist. Adding to the weirdness, near the end of the song, a surprisingly convincing-sounding Childish Gambino, aka Donald Glover, played Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story. The fact is that the person playing the song is in charge of a few bars and the show. That C-3PO isn't as untouchable as he boasts.
The visual quality is at least as good as the audio. Apart from the droids, several Star Wars characters appear, including R2-D2 and Darth Vader, each decorated in gold to match the theme. Before AI Grover takes over, the casino features a long sequence of characters and real-life figures ranging from the aforementioned names to figures like Timothée Chalamet, Kanye his West, George his Lucas, and more. Sure, the result is a patchwork of individuals barely tied together by theme, but there's no denying that the video is well-made and the song is surprisingly catchy.
C-3PO has rapped before.
AI is bringing major changes to film and television. Its potential challenges and opportunities are well recognized by executives and creative circles alike, and are likely to become a hot topic of contention during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. As such, some of the real people featured in C-3PO's rap video may not be thrilled with this honor, especially with how it promotes cryptocurrencies.
That said, the core concept of this video about Golden Droid's rap hobby isn't necessarily as far-fetched as you might think. In 1986, Disney created an authentic C-3PO song called “Star Tours Rap” to promote the Star Tours ride at Disneyland. However, unlike the smooth rap tune in the AI video “Gold Gang,” the official song is clunky and fairly typical of early Star Wars live-action media outside of the actual movies. That's not necessarily a compliment about “Star Wars Holiday Special.”
