Timbaland has doubled down on his plan to launch an AI artist through his company Stage Zero to bring forth a new music genre known as artificial pop, or A-pop. Now he is facing backlash. Taking to Instagram on Friday (June 6), the iconic producer addressed the controversy swirling around the announcement of his first AI-generated artist, TaTa. “I know I’m trolling, but let’s have a real conversation,” Timbaland wrote in his post. “I love my independent artists. This doesn’t mean I’m not working with real artists anymore.”  “And nah, I don’t train ai off y’all music,” he explained. “This just means more creativity for creators.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Timbo the King (@timbaland) Tim also posted a video of music executive Ray Daniels saying AI artists will be the new wave in the record industry.  “Why the fuck wouldn’t you?” Daniels said in the video. “Mickey Mouse is an AI character. Donald Dunk is an AI character. Bugs Bunny is an AI character.” “You guys are looking at it wrong,” Daniels continued. “He’s gonna make a character that he can have sing songs and sell products. That’s all these cartoonists and young kid TV shows are doing anyway, so why are y’all mad at him?” In the comments section, many disagreed with Timbaland and Daniel’s views on AI-generated music. “You call it trolling, but the moves you are making are not jokes,” British DJ Shy FX wrote in the comments. “They are choices, and they come at the cost of real artists who are already fighting to be seen and heard.” “You showed your colours when you attempted to make a song using Biggie’s AI-generated voice,” he added. “You made it even clearer by partnering with Suno, whose founder has been very vocal about wanting to replace musicians, not support them. And now this? This isn’t disruption. It’s a cash-in.” Rob Markman, a noted hip-hop journalist, took issue with Daniels’ point about the creation of the beloved Disney character.  “Mickey Mouse was created by a human, drawn by a human, written by a human, voiced by a human… not the same,” Markman wrote. “None of those things the guy mentioned (Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny) are AI characters; those are characters created, written, and animated by PEOPLE. Do you not see the resounding rejection you’re facing for this?” Markman added.

SZA recently hosted a pop-up event to promote her new beauty brand, Not Beauty. The two-day event — spanning from Thursday (May 8) to Friday (May 9)— took place in her hometown, East Rutherford, New Jersey at the American Dream Mall. Before the event, the singer shared the news with her fans via Instagram: “JERSEY and NEW YORK WE DOING IT MAJORRR . MEET ME AT AMERICAN DREAM MALL TOMORROW AND FRIDAY !! ( there’s a pathway that connects to the stadium ) . So excited to see you at our first mall pop up !!” she wrote in the post’s caption. In a huge surprise to the singer and her fans, Kendrick Lamar stopped by the event to show some support. The singer’s products are exclusively available to Grand National Tour attendees. The pair’s tour kicked off on April 19 and is expected to hit several major cities like Chicago, Las Vegas, Houston, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. THANK YOU KENDRICK FOR COMING TO TODAYS NOT BEAUTY POP UP !!!! SEE YALL ON STAGE !!! pic.twitter.com/tYd0sPf3AO — SZA (@sza) May 9, 2025 SZA Reveals The Inspiration Behind Her Not Beauty Brand Her first product release features a trio of lip gloss shades—ones she’s been quietly wearing for months, including during standout public moments like her appearance at the Super Bowl halftime show. Not long ago, the singer sat down with Vogue and opened up about her inspiration behind the brand. “I’m not a beauty maven, but I know lips.” “I know what I like, and I’m diligent about finding the best quality ingredients. I wanted to fill a need with something that works for me and that I use daily. Following your passion and letting it lead you, and letting the story develop itself by following the throughline of risk, trust, and willingness is literally what my entire life and career has been about.” Explaining the brand’s name, she said, “[It] was representative of a reminder of: Don’t try to be these other brands, don’t try to be anything. Don’t just make a random celebrity brand just because you can. My whole life is about being pressure-free but still trying your best, and that’s what Not is about.”