Updated
Updated · The Verge · Aug 1
Fenix Flexin's 'Rubberz' Reaches No. 58 on Hot 100 as AI-Origin Claims Intensify
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Aug 1

Fenix Flexin's 'Rubberz' Reaches No. 58 on Hot 100 as AI-Origin Claims Intensify

3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Aug 1

Summary

  • No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 has turned Fenix Flexin’s “Rubberz” into a breakout solo hit while fueling fresh scrutiny over whether the track was largely AI-generated.
  • Audio analysts cited brittle hi-hats, low-bitrate-sounding chorus vocals, abrupt reverb cutoffs and awkward syncopation as artifacts often associated with generative AI music.
  • Five AI music detectors were inconclusive at 20% to 30%, but the single’s cover art and a celebratory post were flagged by multiple image detectors at more than 97% likely AI-generated.
  • Live clips deepened doubts: Fenix often lip-syncs, struggles to match the recording’s accent and range, and has blamed the gap on vocal processing and AutoTune.
  • Fenix has denied the allegations and posted alleged Pro Tools session clips, but critics say only original recording and project files would meaningfully address the claims.

Insights

Did a famous trap rapper secretly use AI to fake an 80s pop hit, or is the industry just paranoid?
If a top-charting single was actually generated by software, what does that mean for the future of musical authenticity?