When your favorite artist won't drop a new album, your desperation to find leaks or unreleased tracks might lead you to a scam or two. Moreover, Vice recently reported that a scammer made thousands of dollars selling fake Frank Ocean tracks that were A.I.-generated. According to this report, such songs were sold on music communities in the underground, such as Discord groups, music forums, and similar platforms. This information also comes with testimonies from people in those circles, as well as direct interviews with the scammer and the scammed. "We determined just about everything he has is fake," the owner of a Frank leak-centered Discord server wrote to the community's members.
Of course, this is another point against the prevalence of artificial intelligence in music, and a clear example of its potentially nefarious uses. Despite that reality, it's one example in a sea of different uses of this type of technology. While this individual got thousands for fooling starving fans, other Frank Ocean die-hards make that distinction clear and just offer fans a cool hypothetical. Also, there's the more cheeky and unserious interpretations of this tech, such as Biggie dissing himself in an A.I. cover of "Hit 'Em Up."
Scammer Sells Fake Frank Ocean A.I. Songs, Makes Thousands
However, public favor surrounding Frank Ocean isn't exactly at an all-time high right now. His mixed reception to his appearance as a headliner at Coachella this year left many fans with a sour taste in their mouths. It also prompted figures like Joe Budden to label him as a "scammer" as well, using his history of scattered releases, teases, and expensive merch as context. Still, there's a lot we don't know about the situation, and a lot more nuance to these situations than audiences may expect. We'll see how the elusive superstar's next move diverts from that narrative, or contributes to it.
Meanwhile, many might wonder why you would even purchase leaks like these, and how a scam like this would come about in the first place. In communities like Discord servers, individuals purchase these tracks for private use or crowdsource the necessary funds for the files. Many in the community fear that A.I. threw a massive wrench into their focus. Time will tell how the industry at large weaponizes, or more importantly regulates, tech like this to minimize its potentially harmful effects. Regardless, stick around on HNHH for more news on A.I. music and the latest updates (however scant) on Frank Ocean.
