Ahead of Hip-Hopās 50th birthday on Aug. 11, LL Cool Jās Rock The Bells threw the genre a celebration packed with unforgettable moments. Hosted on Aug. 5 at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY, the Rock The Bells Festivalās lineup included Hip-Hop pioneers such as Queen Latifah, who brought out surprise guests Naughty By Nature, Big Boi, Remy Ma, and more.
Another performer who hit the stage was Swizz Beatz and friends ā one of them being Beanie Sigel.
As previously reported by AfroTech, the Philly rapper revealed that he has a new album in the works, and he plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) to bring back his sounds from when he was in his prime.
āItās definitely for me,ā Sigel told DJUTV. āA lot of people Iāve seen theyāve been frowning upon it and Iām like, āHow can I use that?ā I was talking to somebody and they told me how you program the AI. You run the vocals through there. So yāall want, what they say, āThe old Beans back?ā āCause the penās still there. Itās just the voice. If yāall want that, Iāma shoot yāall something. So Iām gonna use AI on myself.ā
The debate on whether AI should be utilized in the music industry is ongoing. However, LL Cool J has made clear where he personally stands. During a fireside chat on āThe Business of Building Hip Hop: The Next 50 Yearsā at Nasdaq Marketsite, the Hip-Hop legend gave his own take on the trending topic.
āArtificial intelligence is a tool,ā LL Cool J said. āThe only time that artificial intelligence or things like that are gonna be a problem is when people are afraid of the toolsā¦Every new technology is a tool. Itās how you use it. It can be a nuclear bomb or it can be a nuclear reactor that creates energy.ā
He added, āTo me, I think itās how weāre going to ultimately embrace artificial intelligence and use it to our benefit thatās going to make the difference.ā
Another reason why LL Cool J isnāt phased by AI is because he believes human will is always going to reign supreme.
āUltimately, human will is a thing that you canāt measureā¦And ultimately thatās always gonna separate the saints from the aints.ā
Within the fireside chat, LL Cool J also shared how heās remained financially secure over his nearly 40-year career, as previously reported by AfroTech.
āYou have to delay instant gratification if you really want to have financial security,ā LL Cool J advised. āAnd you have to live below your means. I have nice houses but theyāre probably not the sizes that people would imagine. I donāt have as many cars as people would imagine.ā
He emphasized, āIāve never been a slave to my lifestyle at no point in my career. Thatās why I can say no to anything. Iām not under any pressure, and I pay my taxes ā that alone is a nice start.ā