This Robot Can Rap (scientificamerican.com) 29
What if your digital assistant could battle rap? That may sound far-fetched, but Gil Weinberg, a music technologist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has adapted a musical robot called Shimon to compose lyrics and perform in real time. From a report: That means it can engage in rap "conversations" with humans, and maybe even help them compose their own lyrics. Shimon, which was intentionally designed to sound machinelike (listen here), is meant to be a one-of-a-kind musical collaborator -- or an inhuman rap-battle opponent. Computer-generated music dates back to the 1950s, when early computers used algorithms to compose melodies. Modern robots can use machine learning to ad-lib on instruments including the flute and drums. One such machine was an earlier version of Shimon, which could play the marimba and sing. The recently updated robot looks the same; it still consists of a ball-shaped "head," with saucy movable eyebrows above visor-covered eyes, perched at the end of a mechanical arm. But now Weinberg claims Shimon is the first improvising robot to foray into rap, with its distinct stylistic features that pose unique programming challenges.
The crowning glory of rap lies in the lyrics. On top of semantic content, the words need to adhere to an aesthetically pleasing beat and rhythm, all while delivering multiple layers of poetic complexity. In a recent paper, published in the proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Computational Creativity 2020, Weinberg's research team outlines the technical advances that brought a rapping Shimon to life. When Shimon battle raps, software converts its human opponent's spoken lyrics into text. The robot's system identifies keywords from this, and generates new lyrics based on several custom data sets of words that Shimon has been trained on (using deep-learning models). These data sets can come from any text: the work of Lil Wayne, JAY-Z or other rappers; lyrics from other genres; or even nonmusical literary works. Imagine how Shakespeare or Jane Austen might sound if they rapped; Shimon could simulate that for you.
The crowning glory of rap lies in the lyrics. On top of semantic content, the words need to adhere to an aesthetically pleasing beat and rhythm, all while delivering multiple layers of poetic complexity. In a recent paper, published in the proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Computational Creativity 2020, Weinberg's research team outlines the technical advances that brought a rapping Shimon to life. When Shimon battle raps, software converts its human opponent's spoken lyrics into text. The robot's system identifies keywords from this, and generates new lyrics based on several custom data sets of words that Shimon has been trained on (using deep-learning models). These data sets can come from any text: the work of Lil Wayne, JAY-Z or other rappers; lyrics from other genres; or even nonmusical literary works. Imagine how Shakespeare or Jane Austen might sound if they rapped; Shimon could simulate that for you.
Old School is Better (Score:2)
Pissing in the pool? (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
Sadly, I can very easily see this as the future of corporate pop music. Why have a songwriter when you can have an algorithm create something that is probably better than what 90% of people would come with?
The Korean/Japanese mega pop groups that don't pretend to write their own songs will probably be among the first to adopt it.
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the future of corporate pop music.
I'll just leave this here... [youtube.com]
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> What if your digital assistant could battle rap? That may sound far-fetched, but Gil Weinberg, a music technologist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has adapted a musical robot called Shimon to compose lyrics and perform in real time.
This will disproportionately disenfranchise urban youth of color.
First the Google AI ethicist and now this. This research is just another in the long list of examples of systemic racism in our country and it must be stopped at all cost. /s -- because without it, yo
Re: Pissing in the pool? (Score:2)
Plus nobody calls the act battle rapping, even if they call it a battle rap. They call it rap battling.
Listen where? (Score:2)
(listen here)
I'll just use my imagination.
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Another article with videos of the robot singing and rapping. [ieee.org]
The composed song is actually pretty cool. The rap battle is a little . . . not quite there. Better than expected though. It does appear the robot stays somewhat within the realm of the topic and does have a bit of a flow going here or there. Definitely has potential.
Can't decide what's more disappointing... (Score:2)
That someone wasted their time developing such a device? Or that Scientific American decided it was an [ahem] "innovation" worthy of publication.
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I'm not sure why grad student research is a waste of time, but it seems like they're honing personal skills and developing technology that could prove valuable in another generation or two.
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I think we need more stories like this, because currently humans believe that even AI and robots are more efficient and cheaper than human labour, at leasts humans are creative.
Not winning any rap battles any time soon (Score:2)
Robot's flow is weak and lyrics are wack. But it is a good first step to the robot rap battle singularity, when two robot rappers battle each other and constantly improve until one lands such a sick burn wrapped in a dope rhyme that it destroys all life on earth.
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Damn, man. I just wrote a compilation of short stories about possible singularities in comedic form and didn't even think of this one. I'm ashamed of myself.
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X, pass me the weed, I'ma put my ashes out on his ass.
Hmm ... (Score:2)
What if your digital assistant could battle rap?
What if it couldn't?
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That will cost you extra.
The truth (Score:2)
I've listened to it hoping to be amazed. But it didn't take long and I fell on my face. How can you call this nonsense rap? Hell, this was fucking crap!
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Is it (Score:1)
...Turing Combeat?
Make it stop (Score:2)
YES, science HAS gone too far this time.
OTOH, it's unlikely to be worse than the current crop of rappers so who am I to throw shade or clap back or yeet a tweet over it or whatever it is you kids say now.
So... (Score:2)
I am the king of the modern net,
If you don't think that I'll bust another set.
I am the king of the modern net,
You're some tramp just messing with the vote set.
I'm not like Georgia and can't even run an election. you shallot.
With me every time I verify every ballot.
Get me with the DGs and they'll all agree I'm the original DG!
(Response)
Oh, really? Really? If you're the king then I'm the Pope.
Smarter than you, more persistent than you,
You can't ever fuck with me. What? You w
rap, the non-music (Score:2)
Low level of "talent" is needed to rap, why do we want machines to ape low talent humans making noise? I could write a perl script that raps...
Public Apology (Score:2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV832rfjcas