Bacardí and Boi-1da release ‘AI-powered’ EP

Rum giant Bacardí has collaborated with Canadian music producer Boi-1da to release a five-track EP that was partially created with assistance from artificial intelligence (AI).

Boi-1da, whose real name is Matthew Jehu Samuels, has worked with the likes of Drake, Rihanna, Kanye West, Eminem and Nicki Minaj.

The EP, created as part of Bacardí’s Music Liberates Music programme, was created by giving each of the five artists involved access to AI software that had been trained based on beats from Samuels’ catalogue. The artists then worked with Samuels to adjust the track accordingly.

Samuels said of the project: “Mentoring up-and-coming talent is one of the most rewarding things to do as a producer. I’m grateful to have worked with Bacardí on a revolutionary new way to collaborate with artists from all over the world. Through the power of generative AI, I was essentially able to be in multiple places, working on multiple tracks, simultaneously. The results speak for themselves. The album has something for all fans to love, seamlessly blending my signature production stamp and these artists’ incredible individual styles. I hope this leads to more conversations around how we can harness new technology to make music production more efficient and accessible.”

Among the musical talents to feature was Bellah, whose track Something to Prove was on the EP.

“Working with a legendary producer through the transformative lens of AI has been such an incredible journey, merging the soul of innovation with my traditional process,” said Bellah. “AI is a complex topic in the music industry right now, but creating my track for The Concept A.I.bum proved that the future of art is an ever-evolving collaboration between human creativity and the boundless possibilities of modern technology.”

The four other emerging artists involved in The Concept A.I.bum were Floyd Fuji, Kyle Dion, Blackway and Savannah Ré

The EP has arrived on streaming platforms and a limited-edition vinyl will begin shipping in January. Bacardí has stated that all proceeds will go to the participating artists.

Bacardí isn’t the only spirits player to go big on music – Jack Daniel’s recently partnered with hip hop fusion band Phony Ppl on a virtual reality experience that also utilised AI.