Tyga’s $TARFACE Gets Pitchfork’s First 0.0 in 19 Years

Tyga released his ninth studio album $TARFACE on July 31, 2026 via Last Kings / EMPIRE. The Los Angeles rapper, best known for early-2010s hits like “Rack City” during his Young Money and Decaydance run, steps into an ’80s synth-pop and disco alter ego built around a Scarface-inspired pop-star concept. He has claimed influences from Prince, Michael Jackson and even Tom Petty, while confirming AI tools helped generate certain instrumental elements such as synths and guitar parts; he maintains the writing and vocals remain his own.

In a Vibe interview, Tyga confirmed using AI tools for ’80s-style synths and guitar solos, comparing the approach to the early days of Auto-Tune. “We definitely used AI as a [tool],” he said. “It’s no different than when Auto-Tune came out. Some people opposed it, but real artists took it and used it.”

Industry surveys indicate that most artists use AI output solely as a foundation. They revise melodies, rewrite lyrics, and perform all vocals themselves. Ethical concerns focus on disclosure and the provenance of training data. Many platforms continue to face scrutiny over unlicensed catalog use, with ongoing settlements involving labels and companies such as Suno and Udio. Independents increasingly select tools trained on licensed material and disclose AI involvement on releases to avoid penalties or fan backlash. Bandcamp’s prohibition of fully AI-generated music marks a clear boundary that some creators endorse. The prevailing view from Sound On Sound and other 2026 surveys is that AI addresses technical tasks, while human judgment remains central to the music’s identity.

Drew Millard’s Pitchfork review handed the project a rare 0.0…the publication’s first such score since Jet’s Shine On in 2006, calling it a “slop-pop concept album” that is “smug and complacent and depressing” and whose “very existence has made the world a worse place.”

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