AI
AI detector flags Fenix Flexin's "Rubberz" as likely machine-made, ending months of speculation
After a producer identified the AI tool behind the summer's most disputed hit, the app's creator released a detector—and it's already raising questions about authenticity in music.
WIRED — AI
Fenix Flexin's "Rubberz" seemed like an unlikely candidate for summer anthem. The June release shifts dramatically from the East Hollywood rapper's usual gangsta rap toward synth-pop pastiche, complete with an unrecognizable vocal that sparked months of fan debate: was this actually AI-generated?
For months, the question lingered. Despite the suspicious genre departure and vocal transformation, existing AI music detectors found nothing conclusive. The artist and credited producer Purps denied all accusations. Then, last week, everything changed.
The Detective Work#
Music producer Medasin published a methodical video investigation linking the track to Treblo, a lesser-known generative AI music platform. His evidence was layered: Treblo had rebranded from its former name Sonauto just two days before "Rubberz" dropped, and a freeze-frame of Fenix's old Instagram Stories revealed a filename ending in "Sonauto.mp3." More compellingly, Medasin used Treblo to generate nearly identical material—prompting for "80s synthwave" rap lyrics produced uncanny lyrical parallels to the original.
Fenix responded by posting what he claimed was the original DAW project file, but music producers quickly flagged it as suspicious, noting it appeared to be a decomposed track rather than authentic production. The post was deleted without explanation, and neither Fenix nor his label responded to subsequent inquiries.
Two days later, Medasin published a follow-up identifying another Treblo-generated track: Tyga's recent $TARFACE project. Both artists are on the same label and share a similar sonic pivot to synth-pop.
The App's Own Verdict#
Treblo co-founder Ryan Tremblay confirmed the revelation: "Someone appears to have used our model to find a sound that millions of people connected with," he said, while noting the company hadn't even been aware of "Rubberz" until it charted.
More significant: Treblo released Was This Made With Treblo?, a detection tool published late Sunday. Running "Rubberz" through it returns "Very likely Treblo." A Tyga track from early July flags as "Likely Treblo." Treblo says its false positive rate is under 0.01%, and has released the code under open-source license for public scrutiny.
The detection tool arrives amid a broader industry reckoning. LinkedIn, Substack, and Spotify-adjacent platforms are all rolling out AI-flagging features. The US Senate has proposed an AI Labeling Act to mandate transparent labeling.
