Fenix Flexin’s ‘Rubberz’ Becomes First AI-Generated Song to Reach Billboard Hot 100

Fenix Flexin’s viral track “Rubberz” is now being widely described as the first AI generated song to reach the Billboard Hot 100, following months of questions about how the unusual release was created.

The Shoreline Mafia rapper has since acknowledged that artificial intelligence was involved with the track, although he maintains that AI was not part of the recording process itself. The distinction has become increasingly important as musicians begin using generative tools in very different ways, from creating individual sounds to producing much larger parts of finished songs.

Why is “Rubberz” being described as an AI generated hit?

Questions surrounding “Rubberz” intensified after producer Medasin investigated the track and highlighted material that appeared to connect it with Treblo, the generative AI music platform previously known as Sonauto.

Part of that investigation centred on a pre-release song snippet Fenix had shared which reportedly contained “Sonauto” in the filename. Sonauto was the former name of Treblo, helping shift the discussion away from speculation based simply on how the track sounded and towards a specific AI platform.

Treblo later released its own open source AI music classifier, designed to identify music produced using its technology. When “Rubberz” was tested, the system classified the track as “Very likely Treblo.”

Treblo says its detector has a false positive rate of less than one in 10,000. That figure comes from the company itself rather than an independent assessment, but the result has contributed to “Rubberz” increasingly being described across music reporting as the first AI generated song to enter the Billboard Hot 100.

The track ultimately reached No. 58 on the chart.

What has Fenix Flexin said?

Fenix has now acknowledged that AI played some role in the process, while disputing the idea that it was involved when the song was originally recorded.

Responding to discussion about the track in August, he said he had never denied using AI and explained that he did not know what the relevant app was until the song had reached the mixing stage.

Those comments followed earlier interviews in which he had pushed back much more strongly against claims that “Rubberz” was an AI song. In June, he described the track as being recorded in the same way as his other music, while earlier reporting quoted him saying there was “no AI” involved.

His later explanation therefore confirms some involvement with artificial intelligence but still leaves uncertainty around exactly which parts of the finished release were generated, modified or processed using the technology.

Does this mean the whole song was created by AI?

That remains harder to establish because there has not been a detailed public breakdown showing precisely how each element of “Rubberz” was produced.

The Treblo detection result strongly connects the finished track with technology developed by the company, while Fenix has acknowledged AI involvement. However, the term “AI generated song” can cover very different creative processes.

One musician might write and perform an entire track before using AI during mixing or production. Another could generate an instrumental before adding human vocals, while current AI systems can also create complete songs from written instructions.

Fenix is a real performer, so “Rubberz” is also different from music released under entirely artificial artist identities. The debate concerns how the track itself was made rather than whether the artist behind it exists.

AI is moving into mainstream music

The success of “Rubberz” arrives as more established musicians begin openly discussing their use of artificial intelligence.

Tyga has confirmed using AI assisted production for elements of his album “$tarface”, while stressing that he wrote his own material and performed the vocals himself. Other musicians are experimenting with generated instruments, vocal effects and production tools without describing their finished releases as fully AI created.

Streaming companies are beginning to respond as well. Spotify is introducing new AI Persona labels for artificial artist identities while separately developing AI Credits intended to disclose when artificial intelligence has been used during music creation.

Those systems underline the difficulty facing listeners. Knowing that AI was used does not necessarily explain how much human creativity remained involved.

Why “Rubberz” could be an important moment

Its chart success gives the debate weight beyond one viral song.

Generative AI music has been widely available for several years, but reaching the Billboard Hot 100 brings the technology directly into one of the most recognisable measures of mainstream music success.

The unanswered questions surrounding exactly how “Rubberz” was produced also show why transparency is becoming increasingly important. If AI tools become a normal part of commercial music, listeners may increasingly want clearer information about whether the technology helped with production, generated substantial portions of a recording or created almost everything they hear.

“Rubberz” may therefore be remembered not only for reaching No. 58, but as an early example of how difficult defining an “AI song” is becoming as the technology moves further into mainstream entertainment.

Where to listen: “Rubberz” by Fenix Flexin and Purps On The Beat is available now on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.“Rubberz” is being reported as the first fully AI generated song to reach the Billboard Hot 100. Note - Other AI acts had already appeared on Billboard’s genre specific charts, so the milestone applies specifically to the Hot 100.

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