A$AP Rocky backs AI as a tool while keeping music-making hands-on
The rapper sees a use for separating vocals and instrumentals, but says he still develops his own sound with collaborators.
A$AP Rocky has described artificial intelligence as a potentially useful music-making tool while saying he still prefers to build songs with people rather than have a computer do the creative work. In a Complex interview published Oct. 14, he said artists should be able to make fully AI-generated songs if they choose, asking: “Who am I to say what’s standard and what’s not?”
His preferred approach remains practical collaboration. “Me, personally, I prefer to do things myself, practically,” Rocky said, adding that he works with musicians, producers and beat makers to convey and develop his sound.
He nonetheless offered a specific technical use for AI: separating a song’s vocals from its instrumental. Rocky cited Kanye West’s “Good Morning,” from Graduation, as an example of a recording whose vocals could be removed so another artist could rap over the beat. “AI is supposed to be a tool in that sense,” he said, arguing that the technology is neither inherently right nor wrong and depends on how it is used.
Rocky’s comments come after public disputes involving Tyga and Fenix Flexin. He said both artists faced backlash after acknowledging AI use. Tyga’s use of AI-assisted synthesizers and a guitar solo on $tarface, while retaining responsibility for its writing and vocals, was covered in August. Fenix Flexin initially disputed allegations over “RUBBERZ” before acknowledging that AI software had been used.
“RUBBERZ” became the first fully AI-produced song to reach the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 58. The two disclosures intensified debate over whether AI-assisted songs should be eligible for music charts.
The broader dispute has also brought calls for safeguards. More than 200 artists, including Nicki Minaj, Stevie Wonder, Billie Eilish and Harry Styles, signed a 2024 Artist Rights Alliance letter urging technology companies not to deploy AI in ways that threaten human creativity, artists’ rights and fair compensation.
Spotify has taken a similarly conditional position, saying artists and producers should decide whether and how to use AI while the service works against misuse. Its policy permits vocal impersonation only with authorization from the imitated artist, and it said it was developing music-credit disclosures covering AI contributions to vocals, instrumentation and post-production. Spotify also said it had removed more than 75 million spammy tracks in the 12 months before Sept. 25, 2025, amid the expansion of generative AI tools.