Capitol Records drops ‘offensive’ AI rapper FN Meka after outcry over racial stereotyping

FN Meka, an AI rapper that was signed by Capitol Records then dropped after accusations of racial stereotyping. Photograph: Factory New/Capitol Records

A major record label has dropped an AI rapper and offered its “deepest apologies to the Black community”, after the virtual creation was criticised for perpetuating racist stereotypes by using the N-word in a song and being portrayed being beaten by a police officer.

FN Meka, an AI rapper given the appearance of a Black male cyborg, was created in 2019 by Anthony Martini and Brandon Le, the cofounders of Factory New, which billed itself as a “first of its kind, next-generation music company, specialising in virtual beings.”