A popular rap song, Fenix Flexin's "Rubberz," and tracks by Tyga are now being flagged as likely AI-generated by a new detector from the app Treblo, effectively settling summer-long debates about their origins.
Fans have been buzzing about "Rubberz" since its June release, not just for its catchy lyrics but also because its synth-pop sound and unfamiliar vocals seemed a departure from Fenix Flexin's usual style. Accusations of AI generation swirled, especially after producer Medasin claimed Fenix used the lesser-known app Treblo (formerly Sonauto) to create the track. Medasin pointed to a suspiciously named Instagram Story file and demonstrated how Treblo could easily replicate "Rubberz"-like songs with similar lyrical themes and structure.
Both Fenix and producer Purps on the Beat have consistently denied using AI, with Fenix attributing the unique sound to his own vocal effects and an "fake UK accent." However, skepticism persisted. After Medasin's video went viral, Fenix briefly posted what he claimed was the original project file for "Rubberz," but it was quickly deleted amidst claims from other producers that it looked like a doctored file created using stem separation, further fueling AI suspicions.
The controversy escalated when Medasin alleged that Tyga's recent project, "$TARFACE," also showed signs of AI generation, potentially using Treblo. This claim gained significant traction when Treblo itself launched a new detector tool on Sunday. The tool immediately flagged "Rubberz" as "Very likely Treblo" and a Tyga track as "Likely Treblo," with the company stating a very low false positive rate.
Treblo cofounder Ryan Tremblay commented that the company hadn't been aware of the songs until they gained popularity and that the detector was developed to provide transparency for listeners. This development comes amid a broader trend of platforms grappling with AI-generated content, with features like LinkedIn's "seems like AI" button and Substack's AI detection tools emerging. The debate now shifts from whether these songs are AI-generated to how much it matters to fans.
