M.anifest slams musicians using AI prompts to create songs, says it kills creativity

Josephine Amuzu 08:44 - 31 July 2026

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AI should support creativity, not replace it, M.anifest says.

M.anifest has criticised musicians who use AI prompts to create entire songs, saying the practice removes human creativity from music.

AI should support creativity, not replace it, M.anifest says.
He argues AI-generated songs lack genuine human artistry.
He wants streaming platforms to label and let users filter AI music.

Award-winning Ghanaian rapper M.anifest has criticised the growing trend of musicians relying on Artificial Intelligence (AI) prompts to create songs, arguing that the practice removes the human creativity that defines true artistic expression.

Speaking during an interview on Woezor TV on July 29, 2026, the rapper explained that while he supports technological advancements in music, he believes AI should only serve as a tool to assist creatives rather than replace them.

According to the "No Shortcut to Heaven" hitmaker, there is a clear difference between using AI to enhance technical aspects of music production and depending on it to generate complete songs.

I'm not trying to downplay it. It's good for a lot of things, maybe for your show and similar uses. But I'm against it when it comes to the creative side. Use AI for things like production. But making songs with prompts? That's terrible. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Making songs with prompts, you should be ashamed of yourself. You can use technology to help you make music. I'm all for it. I'm pro-technology. But if you're making music solely with prompts, shame on you, he said.

M.anifest stressed that music loses its essence when there is no meaningful human contribution to the creative process. He questioned whether songs produced entirely by AI can genuinely be described as art.

The rapper revealed that he has already noticed some musicians in Ghana embracing AI-generated songwriting and expressed disappointment over the trend.

I want to call out some people I've seen even in Ghana using prompts to do this. Letting AI write your whole songs. Where's the human involvement? Without human involvement, is it art? It's just artificial, he noted.

Beyond his concerns about creativity, M.anifest also called on digital streaming platforms (DSPs) to introduce clearer labelling for AI-generated music. He argued that listeners deserve to know when a song has been created primarily by artificial intelligence so they can make informed choices about what they consume.

Drawing a comparison with the "Parental Advisory" labels that traditionally appeared on albums containing explicit content, he suggested AI-generated music should carry a similar identifier.

I think there should be freedom of choice. If you like AI music, that's fine. But it should be identified as such. When I was younger, music with explicit lyrics carried a 'Parental Advisory' label. In the same way, they should tell us if it's an AI artiste. Then you have the option to decide if you like it or not, he urged.

The 2017 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) Best Rapper of the Year winner went a step further, saying he would personally prefer an option on streaming services that allows users to exclude AI-generated music from recommendations and playlists.

Me personally, I would like to ban AI artists from my DSP. There should be a button where, if you don't want to hear AI-generated music, it doesn't appear. Those who want to hear it can. I have no interest in listening to AI-generated music, he said.

Despite his criticism, M.anifest emphasised that he is not against artificial intelligence itself. He maintained that AI has an important role in supporting creative work, particularly in technical areas such as production and post-production, but insisted that it should never replace the artist's imagination and originality.

"I have no problem with music where people use AI tools to help create. Technology is technology, and you have to use it. If you're making a film and you need AI to help with colour grading or other production tools, that's fine. But the idea of using AI to create everything from start to finish, I'm against it," he added.

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