In a summer short on anthems, Fenix Flexin's 'Rubberz' has been hailed by some as the season's defining track. Its looping synth lines evoke both the neon-soaked Miami of the 1980s and a Men At Work melody, while lyrics oscillate between boasts about "pocket's getting thicker" and laments of unrequited love and lost friendships.
"I can't sleep through the night / Why do you call when you're short on cash?"
The song, drenched in a Polaroid-filtered warmth and an inescapable catchiness, has climbed to number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 and amassed over 7.5 million YouTube views. Yet it bears little resemblance to Flexin's earlier trap-heavy output, from its lyrical themes to its polished vocal delivery.
Since its release in early June, listeners have pointed to the track's uncanny cadences and stylistic departure as evidence that it was largely, if not entirely, generated by artificial intelligence. This week, the speculation intensified when Treblo—the generative AI music app Flexin was accused of using—flagged the song as likely AI-produced.
You can smell the wires
For months, artists, producers, and online commentators have scrutinized 'Rubberz' for signs of AI involvement. Hip-hop artist and producer Curtiss King spent 30 minutes dissecting the track in a YouTube video, concluding: "You can smell the wires on it."
Songwriter Charlie Harding told The Verge that the drum reverb is "full of unnatural digital artifacting reminiscent of a 64kbps MP3 downloaded off of Napster," attributing this to generative AI models trained on low-quality, unlicensed copyrighted material.
Fenix Flexin, along with labelmate Tyga—who faces similar accusations—has done little to quell the rumors. In social media posts, he claimed to have produced the track using Pro Tools, auto-tune, and a British accent he says he uses "half the day."
The backlash has been amplified by fellow creators. DJ and producer Medasin posted a viral reel condemning the rapper and demonstrating how simple prompts on Treblo (formerly Sonauto) could yield a nearly identical song.
At the core of the controversy lies a broader question: does it matter if he used AI?
AI slop in an era of corporate indifference
Despite widespread opposition from artists, consumers, and even casual observers, AI-generated music continues to surface. Last year, an AI-created persona topped the US Billboard charts. Just months ago, 'actor' Tilly Norwood—or rather, its controllers—released a debut single.
The common thread is that few seem to welcome this trend. A Luminate study this year found that consumer comfort with AI in music creation has declined, with overall interest dropping from -13% to -20% in the first half of 2025. "People are more likely to feel uncomfortable than to feel comfortable with AI use," says Audrey Schomer, a Luminate media analyst and research editor.
This sentiment mirrors broader public opinion: nearly half of Americans view AI negatively, according to an NBC News survey.
The disdain is beginning to have tangible consequences. In a landmark ruling this week, a Munich court found that AI music app Suno violated copyright laws, ordering it to pay unspecified fines to artists. This decision resonates across Europe, where artists like Cate Blanchett and Javier Bardem have launched a free AI registry to protect their identities. The debate also touches on platforms like Spotify, whose AI remix feature has sparked similar concerns about revenue and authenticity.
As European courts and creators push back, the 'Rubberz' controversy serves as a flashpoint in the ongoing struggle over what constitutes genuine artistic expression in the age of generative AI.
