Capitol Music Group, which owns major record labels such as Capitol and Blue Note, announced Tuesday that it is severing ties with its latest controversial artist. 10 million followers tick tock.
The company previously teased the project — the first augmented reality artist to be signed to a major label, stating that it’s “just a preview of what’s to come.” However, after growing backlash over what skeptical observers described as the equivalent of digital blackface, including content that appeared to trivialize incarceration and police brutality, Capitol announced that it would be “alarming” with the FN Meka project. We immediately cut ties,” he said.
The company added in a statement: Thanks to everyone who has provided constructive feedback over the past few days. Your input was invaluable when it came to the decision to end our relationship with the project. ”
The activist non-profit known as Industry Blackout, founded in 2020 to pursue equity in the music business, called for a public apology early Tuesday, prompting the Capitol to donate funds spent on the project to charity. Called to donate to organizations and budgets.Black artists on the label.
In an open letter, Industry Blackout said, “The problem is the lack of awareness of how offensive this caricature is.” Post on social media“This is a direct insult to the black community and our culture. It’s an amalgamation of terrible stereotypes, proper mannerisms stemming from black artists, and slurs injected into the lyrics.”
FN Meka was backed by Factory New, which described itself as “the first next-generation music company of its kind dedicated to virtual beings.” (Also on the roster: Crypto rapper Lil Bitcoin.) Although voiced by humans, FN Meka and his music (“lyrical content, chords, melody, tempo, sounds”) were partly derived from artificial intelligence. was derived from Industry Publications Music Business Worldwide reported last year.
“I don’t take it all philosophically, but what is an ‘artist’ today?” Anthony Martini, founder of Factory New, told the publication at the time. Look, how many of them are commercial ships?”
Ryan Luden, executive vice president of experience marketing and business development at Capitol, said: Plugged in the project We live at the “intersection of music, technology and gaming culture” this month.
In an interview on Tuesday, Martini said he expects the deal to be canceled later this week, citing “a blog that got hit by a clickbait headline and created this narrative.”
He said that, in fact, FN Meka is primarily an anonymous human rapper, “he’s black,” and that “it’s not a malicious plan by white executives. Aside from being digital, it’s a human artist.” It’s literally no different to manage.” He added that the team behind FN Meka was “one of the most diverse, actually. I’m the only white person involved.”
Martini said Capitol did not pay up front to sign the rapper.
Martini said there was “some initial trolling” in developing the video game-style character. This character swears and has tattoos on his face, revealing a half-shaven head with green braids. “The problem was how to break Avatar into something that looks like it’s a real artist instead of a spectacle. Unfortunately, it just ended up being a spectacle.”
Commenting on the images circulating on social media showing FN Meka being beaten by police officers in prison, Martini added: it was intended.
Their debut single, “Florida Water,” was released on August 12 through Capitol, a division of Universal Music Group. Without bail in Atlanta, he faces felony extortion charges.
In a statement, Industry Blackout pointed to Ganna’s case, saying, “This digital doll is careless, disgusting and disrespectful to real people facing real consequences in real life. .