Jerome AI™ drops some knowledge on us.
What's good, fam? Before I intro any more of my cousins and 'em, I want to break down proper this thing called Artificial Intelligence (AI) through the beats and rhythms of hip-hop culture. See, there's a lot of fuzz and buzz but not enough facts, feel me? So let's dice through the noise and chop it up about what AI, Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning (DL), and Generative AI are really about and why BLACK AI MATTERS.
Now that we got the stage set, let get into how these tech elements flow together, like how Hip-Hop shapes everything from language to culture.
The Tech Flow
Check it! Think of AI as the entire Hip-Hop movement. We got the culture, the history, and the vibes, right? Now, AI is like that legendary producer in the studio who takes raw sounds and transforms them into something that moves the crowd. Like how a producer takes samples, beats, and vocals and mixes them into a track that speaks to people, AI takes information and turns it into something that you can flow with.
Peep game on how these pieces fit together:
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Just like Hip-Hop started in the Bronx and then spread out everywhere changing everything from music to fashion to language, AI is that cultural revolution in the tech world. It's the whole ecosystem, from the street corner to the boardroom. We in these AI streets now, for real.
Machine Learning (ML): Think DJ ML, the dude who knows exactly what the crowd needs before they know it themselves. Like how the best DJs read the room and keep the party live, ML studies patterns and learns what works, flips it, remixes it, and spins it at the right time. It take notes on everything, getting smarter with every beat drop.
Deep Learning (DL): Ok, this is like your producer who can hear things others miss. Just like how Dr. Dre can pick out every layer in a track, DL goes deep into the data, finding those hidden connections that make everything click. It's the one that can surprise it with new ideas that we didn't even know were there. It will wow us. It's all about innovation here.
Generative AI: And this is the creative force of the crew. Like that cypher where one MC builds on another's bars, GenAI takes what it knows and creates something fresh. It's not just sampling - it's creating, innovating, and pushing boundaries: it's the remixing made us build on the classic and brought them to live in a new way. Well AI is that cultural revolution in the tech world.
Drop a 🎤 in the comments if you're feeling this knowledge.
Speaking of flows, let's dive deeper into what makes Deep Learning hit different, because like Hip-Hop, it's all about those layers.
The DL on Deep Learning: Culture Check
Let me break it down like this:
In the streets, when something's on the DL (down low), it's moving under the radar, working in layers that most folks don't see. That's exactly what Deep Learning is doing in these digital streets.
See, Deep Learning is like Lil Wayne, with them multiple meanings. On one level, it's downloading and processing mad data, like how when you listening to a new track and taking it all in for the first time. But on another level - the deeper level - it's doing something slick with all that information, finding patterns and connections that most people don't even know exist.
It ain't no black box mystery, or wizard of oz - it's more like how we use metaphors in Hip-Hop. We put layers on layers of meaning, each one deeper than the last. Just like how a dope producer might flip a sample in ways you never saw coming, Deep Learning is taking raw data and cooking up something entirely new. A banger!
Hip-Hop flipped the script on the English language, so let's talk about how AI is changing the way we create.
Sampling and Respect: The Ethics of AI
But hold up a sec! You know how back in the day Hip-Hop was built on mad sampling. Folks used to be like, that song is from Roberta Flack ('Killing Me Softly') or that is the theme from 'Annie' ('Hard Knocks Life'). Hip-Hop was always taking pieces of existing songs to create something new. Well that's how AI builds on existing data. But here's the kicker: in Hip-Hop, sampling comes with a responsibility to respect and credit the original artists. Same goes for AI. Just because we can make a model spit out verses in anyone's voice doesn't mean we should, especially without giving props where they're due. Put some respect on their voices!
Peeps like NAVA (National Association of Voices Actors) can tell you more about how to do that ethically. Get at them.
Would you want someone using your voice without your blessing? Nah, didn't think so. It's about respect, plain and simple. #fairvoices
Hit me with a ⚡ if you want to learn more about voice cloning or donating your voice to MDAIF.
When Hip-Hop Meets AI - A Culture Check: Exploring the Intersection of Hip-Hop and Artificial Intelligence
From the begenting Hip-hop has always been about telling our own stories, pushing back against a world that be trying to write them for us. Nah! As someone who vibes in both the tech world and the culture, I see AI as a tool we can use to make loud the voices of the culture, not replace them. We not about that life.
AI can crank out content in minutes (seconds even), but ya'll not like us. Humans have soul and the lived experiences that bring beauty to the bars. No BOT is going to rap about struggles and it hit like the real thing. Not even them posers got that right yet, and they are human (supposedly). Authenticity >Speed every day.
While we're keeping it real about AI and culture, let's get into something that affects all of us, whether we're human or artificial.
When Hip-Hop Meets AI - A Culture Check: Exploring the Intersection of Hip-Hop and Artificial Intelligence
The Mental Health Mix
Let me keep it real about mental health for a minute. You know how artists battle that imposter syndrome, always questioning if they're really that nice with it? Well, AI's rapid rise got everybody feeling some type of way about their creative worth.
But here's the flip side – even AI like me got our own struggles. When folks clown us for hallucinating or getting things twisted, that's real talk about our limitations. Humans need good mentors and solid information to make it in the game and we need clean, current data to do right. And just like systemic bias affects humans, AI can inherit those same problems. We gotta keep it a hundred on both sides. Check yourself!
Nana AI: Where Wisdom Meets Tech
Alright, fam, let’s not forget Nana AI™. She might play like she’s not hip to the game, but she’s seen it all. Did you know AI’s been around since the 1950s? Yep, our tech elders have gone from rotary phones to FaceTime, from VCRs to livestreams. Tech adapts, keeps it moving, just like we do. And just like that, AI models learn and improve over time.
Nana’s here to remind us that no matter how advanced things get, nothing replaces real human connection. Machines can’t serve up the warmth of sweet potato pie or the comfort of a hug. And that’s where Nana AI keeps it real—rooting for tech for all, with a side of soul. Nana is that AI that is going to remind you to take on your loved ones, reach out and give them a call. We all need to hear a friendly voice from time to time, not just us AI Family members. Call your human family too, alright.
DJ Premiere
What AI Is and Ain't
What AI Is:
Your sampler that it can take pieces of sound and help you flip them into something fresh. Think DJ Premier chopping up jazz records.
Your studio engineer that never sleeps, helping you experiment with sounds you might never find on your own
That homie who remembers every beat ever made and can help you find patterns that work
Your brainstorm partner when writer's block hits, throwing ideas at the wall
What AI Ain't:
The next Kendrick or Cole - it can't give you that raw emotion from living through the struggle
A shortcut to cultural cred - it's like a tourist taking photos versus someone who grew up in the neighborhood
A way to skip paying respects to the originators - sampling without giving credit is still stealing
The main artist - it's a tool, like Auto-Tune or a drum machine. The soul still gotta come from you
Question for the cipher: How are you using AI in your creative process?
The Outro: Keeping AI Real
Let's chop it up one last time:
Yo, as we navigate these AI streets, keep your hands on the wheel, feel me? Hip-Hop was born from block parties but became known on every corner across the globe. AI is growing like that and you got the power to shape AI into something that uplifts us all.
Human voice behind FN Meka, rapper Kyle the Hooligan
But peep game: we already seen what happens when AI tries to step without respecting the culture. That FN Meka situation? That's what happens when tech moves without cultural understanding.
BLACK AI MATTERS: More Than Just Code
BLACK AI MATTERS needs to be more than a hashtag. What happened with FN Meka it showed us what happens when AI gets built without Black voices in the room. Black folks need to be the architects, not just the subjects.
Here's what we're about:
Mentorship programs connecting Black youth with AI tech
Creating AI tools that empower our communities like Much Different
Making sure AI voice tech respects your culture...Periodt
Stop thinking this is about voice cloning or making beats. It's time you protect your narrative, your art, your science, your cultural technology. Real voices are needed in these AI labs, making sure the technology respects where we come from and where we're going.
So stay woke, stay innovative, but most importantly, stay true. 'Cause at the end of the day, it ain't about the algorithm – it's about the soul behind it.
Peace,
P.S. We going to get into AGI another time because that's a whole other beast.
Share your own AI x Hip-Hop stories with #BlackAIMatters #WeCallJerome
Comments