Tyga is pushing back on the idea that his new project, $TARFACE, is an entirely AI-generated album — and he wants critics to read his original comments before making that claim.
During a Thursday appearance on “TMZ Live,” the rapper explained that artificial intelligence was used only for certain elements of the project, including some synthesizers and guitar solos.
Tyga said he spent three months working in the studio, wrote every song and performed every vocal himself.
His explanation comes after the album attracted criticism over its use of AI, including a rare 0/10 rating from Pitchfork and a blunt public jab from Doja Cat, who called him “a penis for making an A.I. album.”
Tyga arrived for his “TMZ Live” appearance dressed in an ’80s-inspired outfit and carrying a lit cigarette, matching the aesthetic surrounding $TARFACE.
But the main topic was the controversy surrounding the album’s use of artificial intelligence.
Tyga’s message to critics was simple: read what he actually said.
The rapper argued that people had misunderstood his original comments about AI and were now describing $TARFACE as something it is not.
According to Tyga, AI was used on some synthesizers and guitar solos — not to create the entire album.
He stressed that he spent three months in the studio working on the project, wrote every song and performed every vocal himself.
Tyga blamed some of the confusion on what he described as Gen Z not reading his original comments carefully.
The clarification comes as $TARFACE continues to attract attention for its experimental use of technology.
Pitchfork gave the project a rare 0/10 rating, a review score Tyga appeared largely unconcerned about.
In fact, he joked about the publication’s name.
“I don’t really know what Pitchfork is,” Tyga said. “All I know is the devil uses a pitchfork.”
The rapper’s comments show that the negative critical response has not changed his willingness to defend the project.
Then came Doja Cat.
During the interview, Harvey Levin played Tyga the clip of Doja’s recent livestream comment in which she called him “a penis for making an A.I. album.”
Rather than becoming visibly angry, Tyga laughed.
The rapper then offered a playful response to his former collaborator.
“Listen, I love Doja, but she made a demonic album,” he said. “But I still love her.”
The exchange keeps the criticism firmly in the realm of entertainment rather than turning it into a serious confrontation.
Tyga also explained why he is comfortable experimenting with AI in the first place.
He sees the technology as another stage in the evolution of music-making tools and does not appear particularly worried that AI could replace him.
His reasoning is based on experience.
Tyga pointed to his 15-year track record as evidence that his career and creative identity are built on more than what a machine can produce.
For him, AI is a tool — not a substitute for the artist.
$TARFACE has become a talking point largely because of Tyga’s decision to incorporate AI into parts of the album.
The controversy intensified after Pitchfork awarded the project a 0/10 rating, while Tyga has continued to defend his creative approach.
Doja Cat also entered the conversation with her blunt criticism during a livestream.
The two artists have a history of collaboration, having worked together on the 2019 remix of “Juicy” and the 2022 track “Freaky Deaky.”
That history gives Doja’s criticism an added layer, although Tyga’s response made clear that he still views her positively despite the jab.
He laughed when shown her comment and responded by criticizing her own recent music while reiterating that he loves her.
The central disagreement, however, remains the role AI should play in music — and whether using it in certain parts of a recording makes the resulting project an “AI album.”
The controversy surrounding $TARFACE reflects a larger debate spreading across the music industry as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly accessible to artists and producers.
Tyga’s explanation draws a distinction between using AI as a production tool and allowing AI to create an entire record.
He says the technology contributed to specific instrumental elements while the songwriting and vocals remained his own.
His willingness to experiment also highlights the uncertainty surrounding where music technology is heading.
Tyga has not decided whether he will use AI again, describing $TARFACE as an experiment.
At the same time, he acknowledged that the controversy has generated plenty of publicity for the project.
For Tyga, the AI debate does not appear to be overshadowing his confidence in his own abilities.
He argues that a 15-year career gives him something technology cannot simply replicate: a proven creative identity and experience built over time.
That confidence allows him to treat $TARFACE as an experiment rather than a definitive statement about the future of his music.
Even the criticism from Doja Cat was met with laughter rather than anger.
Their exchange ultimately shows two artists taking very different views of the same technology while maintaining a sense of humor about the disagreement.
Tyga says $TARFACE is AI-assisted, not AI-created, and he is standing by the human work behind it. Whether he returns to the technology on his next project, however, remains undecided.
