Some of our favourite artists have already dropped off noteworthy new music in 2023. Unfortunately, their releases as of late are chiefly being overshadowed by the songs coming out via artificial intelligence. From hearing Kanye West take on Hit-Boy's "2 Certified" thanks to technology to heavy hitters like Drake and Michael Jackson covering Ice Spice's "Munch (Feelin' U)," the entertainment has been endless, albeit damaging to the music industry. Earlier this week, a video of the late Biggie Smalls rapping Nas' "N.Y. State of Mind" began circulating online, sparking plenty of debate amongst the hip-hop community,
The 1994 cut previously arrived on the New Yorker's Illmatic album and remains one of the most popular in his discography to this day. Of course, The Notorious B.I.G. lost his life just three years after this, and though he and Nas had plans to collaborate (the latter previously revealed on The Breakfast Club that he "got too high" in the studio for anything to come to fruition), it ultimately never came to be. This is the closest we'll probably ever to see to a joint effort, and while some users are loving Biggie's flow on his friend's song, others are frustrated with AI's presence in the industry at the moment.
Biggie's Unofficial "N.Y. State of Mind" Cover
"This made me realize Nas has the greatest flow of any rapper ever," one Twitter user said, markedly praising the 49-year-old. Another, less pleased listener chimed in, "The gap between Biggie's flow and Nas' flow is f*cking me up right now. This sounds so much worse than his voice on his flow lol. Too much energy with the wrong tone." Elsewhere, someone argued that the computer-generated audio fails to "capture Big's essence one bit."
Apart from the comedic, discourse-causing covers, we've also heard brand new lyrics written and beats crafted for Champagne Papi, The Weeknd, and more, rivalling some of their previous releases in the hearts of fans. In wake of this, music labels are beginning to take action in defence of their artists to protect their work and vocals. Keep scrolling to read Twitter's reactions to the viral Biggie AI cover, and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments afterward.