Timbaland is facing criticism after appearing in the music video for TaTa Taktumi, a rapper he introduced in June through his new AI-focused label, StageZero. In the video, TaTa performs lines such as, “I put ice on my shooter / he gonna duck immigration / b-tch I’m back now / check my stats now.” When discussing TaTa and StageZero with Variety, Timbaland described her as an intellectual property (IP) and expressed his ambition to build a music franchise. He claimed the video is “85% human-made” and that AI contributed “maybe 15% or less.” After a clip from the video surfaced online, critics blasted Timbaland on social media. One user wrote, “Using AI to create a non-Black artist to embody Black culture just so you can exploit without guilt is fcking insane.”* Another added, “Timbaland destroying his own legacy wasn’t on my 2025 cards.” Timbaland has defended his use of AI, saying that he doesn’t let it replace human creativity. In the Variety interview, he explained that he uses AI as a tool or collaborator, not as the sole creator: “You still need the human element.… If you don’t know music … you’re not going to get what you’re looking for.”

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