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American rapper, singer, and actor Russell James Vitale, aka Russ, shared his thoughts on Timbaland launching his AI label and signing virtual artists. In an Instagram post on Thursday, June 12, 2025, the Trap star shared a video of himself during his guest appearance on the Apple Music Rap Life show.
While he praised Timbaland as a "legend and a musical genius" in the caption, he had some very strong words regarding the rapper and record producer's recent AI venture. Russ said:
"I just feel like from the conversations that I've seen him [Timbaland] have, it's coming off like the motivation behind signing AI artists and doing all this is control."
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He further stated that what Timbaland is doing with his AI record label is not about finding artists. Instead, he accused the rapper of wanting "machines that follow orders." The rapper-singer also claimed that Timbaland is trying to eliminate messiness, which he argued is the very thing that makes humanity beautiful. He added:
"You're kind of doing this because you want compliance, which isn't collaboration. It's not creativity. It's control. And, at that point, you're not building art."
Russ also pointed out that Timbaland's AI label and virtual artists are doing more, especially in the music industry. He expressed that instead of safeguarding the voice of the real artist, the "weirdly dystopian" use of AI establishes a troubling precedent for what an ideal artist should be, saying:
"And you are also telling the whole world that the ideal artists are the one who shuts up and obeys."
Russ' comments followed Timbaland's launch of his AI-powered record label, Stage Zero, on June 5, 2025. Since then, the company has unveiled its first AI artist, TaTa, which Timbaland said will start the rise of "A-Pop," according to Billboard.
Russ wins the Indie Trailblazer Award
Russ recently achieved a milestone after receiving what he said was his "first award." On Tuesday, June 10, 2025, Billboard hosted its Indie Power Players event at New York's Harbor NYC Rooftop, where leaders in independent music, including both executives and artists, gathered.
It was a significant night for the rapper-singer, who was presented with the 2025 Indie Trailblazer Award by TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson and Believe's Global Head of Music, Romain Vivien. In his Instagram post on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, he showed off his new trophy in a video, where he said that it was his first music industry award that he thought "would never happen." In the caption, he wrote:
"I WON A BILLBOARD AWARD. Very wild. Never thought I'd win an industry award tbh."
He also shared a clip of his award speech in the same post, where he talked about being an independent artist. In his speech, he said independence—artists choosing themselves—has changed the face of the industry. While record deals were once considered the next big thing for artists, he emphasized that direct-to-fan connections have now taken the lead. He also equated independence with freedom.
Russ is set to drop his album W!LD on June 27, 2025. This 19-track project features four previously released songs: Movin', April 7, Crazy, and Pent up in a Penthouse.
