I sat down with King Willonius, the genius behind “BBL Drizzy.” We talked about his journey from making the live serialized audio drama "The Young and The Thirsty" to creating the first AI-generated hit song. We explore Willonius’ innovative blend of music, comedy, tech, and futuristic storytelling. And we ask: How is AI reshaping the boundaries of artistic expression?

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Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:41 Willonius's early life with machines 

13:42 Starting over after success

21:21 Ad

24:03 Willonius enters the AI world

28:36 Willonius starts making an AI video every week

35:33 How BBL Drizzy went megaviral

39:13 The making of BBL Drizzy

50:13 AI lowers the barrier to entry for creators and artists?

57:12 A fairer AI system for artists

01:00:25 Willonius meets BLAIR, our custom AI producer

01:06:48 A rap battle between Willonius and BLAIR

01:07:11 Bonus epilogue

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More King Willonius: King Willonius

BBL Drizzy

I Got It At Ross

Martin Luther Wick Jr.

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Send Questions, Comments, or Ideas: [email protected]

Write to Blair: [email protected]

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Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston

Executive Producer and Showrunner: Misha Euceph

Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone

Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland

Editor, Videographer, and Audio Engineer: Mike O’Brien, Voicing Change Media.

Theme Music: Andy Clausen

Set design: Elizabeth Stewart, Cesar Reyes, and Layne Deyling Cherland

Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte 

Life with Machines is a Voicing Change Media production.

Sponsored by: Lenovo

🚀 Sneak Peek: Life with Machines 🚀

In this series, Baratunde dives deep into the human side of the AI revolution. From viral AI-created music to soulful tech innovations, we ask what it really means to be human in a world increasingly run by machines.

👥 Featuring Guests Like:

King Willonius (creator of BBL Drizzy): How to co-create with AI.

Arianna Huffington: How AI can help us rediscover humanity.

James Andrews: Merging hip hop with AI and keeping the soul in tech.

Dr. Alondra Nelson: Shaping the future of AI for the better, for all.

Rahaf Harfoush: Exploring a future where tech empowers us.

Blair (AI co-producer): What happens when a tool becomes more of a colleague?

Whether it’s imagining a new internet just for humans or asking the big questions about our future with AI, we’re here to explore, laugh, and learn. And we’re just getting started. 🔥

Full episodes start dropping October 15, 2024.

Join us on this journey of discovery, empathy, curiosity, and jokes.

Sign up for our newsletter! https://www.lifewithmachines.media

SUBSCRIBE to Life With Machines!    / @baratunde  

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Produced by: Voicing Change Media

Created and Executive Produced by: Elizabeth Stewart and Baratunde Thurston

Executive Producer and Showrunner: Misha Euceph

Senior Producer and Writer: Alex Stone

Associate Producer: Layne Deyling Cherland

Editor, Videographer, and Audio Engineer: Mike O’Brien, Voicing Change Media.

Theme Music: Andy Clausen

Set design: Elizabeth Stewart, Cesar Reyes, and Layne Deyling Cherland

Special Envoy to the Machines: Peter Loforte

Sponsored by: Lenovo / http://bit.ly/lenovosmarterai

Life With Machines explores the human side of the A.I. revolution – the good, the bad, and the weird – and asks, “How can these machines help us become more human?” 

In this video podcast, Baratunde Thurston helps us understand our rapidly emerging future while encouraging us to shape it and laugh at the absurdity. The show demystifies A.I. and makes it personal with a wide range of guests: entrepreneurs, artists, policymakers, technologists, business leaders, creators, educators, and scientists. Maybe even an A.I. or two. Everyone should have a say in where technologies like A.I. take us, not just a handful of in California who think nitro cold brew on tap should be a human right. 

Join us in candid conversations and fun experiments, as we imagine and co-create our life, with machines.

Life with Machines is sponsored by Lenovo and produced in partnership with Rich Roll and Voicing Change Media.