A$AP Rocky's latest music video is facing allegations that its creators used another artist's work without permission, turning a brief psychedelic sequence into a dispute over artificial intelligence, ownership and credit.
The controversy centers on a scene roughly 2 minutes, 25 seconds into the video for "Shroom Clouds," released Oct. 19. It features a figure amid concentric rings in a grassy field, with the surrounding landscape appearing to bend into a tunnel.
Visual effects artist Cache Bunny says the sequence came from a 2019 project he created with director Ari Fararooy and parkour athlete Jason Paul.
His allegation goes beyond a shared visual idea.
In Instagram posts circulated over the weekend, Cache Bunny accused Rocky's production team of taking the earlier footage, processing it with AI and replacing Paul with the rapper while retaining details of the original landscape.
The posts highlighted apparent similarities in the grass, shadows and camera perspective. The earlier work was published in April 2019, more than seven years before Rocky's video.
The original Instagram post remains publicly linked, and Rocky's official video contains the disputed sequence. The similarities have drawn attention from other creators, but the available comparison does not independently establish how the newer footage was produced or whether the original material was licensed.
The video's own credits, however, confirm that artificial intelligence was part of the production.
Rocky shares directing credit with Aisultan Seitov and Pietro Biz Biasia. North of Now is listed as the production company, with additional postproduction and visual-effects contributors. The credits identify Spike and Red, along with Ces, as AI artists.
The use of AI in a production does not establish that another artist's work was copied, and the credits do not identify which contributors created the disputed sequence.
On Monday, a statement attributed to AWGE creative director Robert Gallardo began circulating online. A screenshot and subsequent published reporting attributed to him an acknowledgment that a breakdown in reviewing AI-generated material had resulted in work associated with Cache Bunny appearing without attribution.
The statement also described an effort to contact the artist to discuss resolving the matter. Its original Instagram Story could not be independently authenticated.
The controversy arrives at an awkward moment for Rocky, whose music videos have long been an important part of his reputation as a visual artist.
In an interview with Complex before "Shroom Clouds" was released, the rapper discussed artificial intelligence's place in music production while emphasizing his preference for hands-on creative work.
"I prefer to do things myself, practically," he said.
The song, featuring reggie and Jeremih, is part of the continuing rollout surrounding Rocky's album "Don't Be Dumb."
No publicly verified copyright lawsuit or licensing agreement involving the disputed sequence has emerged.
For now, the unresolved questions concern not simply whether AI was used, but whether another creator's work entered the production without permission, who authorized its use and what steps will be taken to address the complaint.
