Podcast Summary: The Journey with Morgan DeBaun

Episode: AI in the Music Industry with BBL Drizzy Creator King Willonius

Date: October 7, 2025
Host: Morgan DeBaun
Guest: King Willonius

Episode Overview

This episode features an insightful conversation between host Morgan DeBaun and King Willonius, the creator of the viral AI-generated song "BBL Drizzy." They explore the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and creativity in the music industry, unpack the story behind BBL Drizzy, discuss the broader impact of AI on Black creatives, the economics and ethics of AI-generated content, and practical tools for leveraging AI as a creator. The tone throughout is lively, honest, and empowering.

1. Origins of BBL Drizzy and King Willonius’ Entry into AI (00:00–05:28)

• Background: King Willonius introduces himself as a stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and multi-hyphenate creative.
• Pivot to AI: During the writers’ strike, he leaned into AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney to continue being creative, feeling unsupported by traditional industry routes.

  "I was very hesitant just because… the writer strike was caused a little bit by… AI, and I didn’t want to get blackballed… but then I looked at all the checks I got from the WGA. It was zero… let me just, you know, bet on myself." [01:07–01:57]

• BBL Drizzy Creation Story:
  • Inspiration struck from a trending Twitter topic, referencing a beef between Rick Ross and Drake.
  • Created a comedic AI song in response, initially without expecting much engagement.
  • Song went viral after being picked up by Metro Boomin, and was later sampled by Drake, becoming the first AI sample used in mainstream music.

  "I like to say it’s like… the BBL that won’t go away… it keeps bouncing back." [04:05]

2. AI as a Creative Accelerator, Not a Magic Wand (07:26–09:23)

• Expertise Required: Morgan highlights the years of creative groundwork underpinning King Willonius’ success; AI is an accelerator for seasoned creatives, not a shortcut.

  "You had 10 years in the game… it’s not like you could have woken up 10 years ago and been like boom, boom, bam… this was just a new technology unlock." (07:45)

• Process Mastery: King Willonius attributes the 30-minute creation of BBL Drizzy to years spent honing both comedy and technical AI skills, having written hundreds of songs and generated over 30,000 Midjourney images.

3. Value and Ethics of AI-Generated Art (10:06–14:38)

• Artistic Value and Compensation: The hosts debate whether an AI-generated song with a million plays should be valued like a human-created one.

  "Sometimes just like, like you look at, I mean, I was in New Orleans earlier this year... there were these dudes... drumming...that’s music... when you walk down the street and you hear that, it makes you feel something."—King Willonius [10:29–11:45]

• Subjectivity in Art: Morgan emphasizes the subjective value of art and the role of audience attention and emotional impact in assigning worth.
• Ethical Dilemmas: Discussion of record labels investing heavily in AI artists, raising questions about authenticity, representation, and opportunity in the industry.

  "There’s an AI artist who just got a huge deal, and she is not a real person."—Morgan [13:42] "…how come we not talking about how this Black woman just got $3 million, you know what I’m saying?"—King Willonius [14:24]

4. Participation vs. Resistance and Black Creatives in AI (16:53–19:42)

• Inevitability of AI Adoption: Both agree AI’s presence in creative work is already here; the choice is to engage and innovate, or be left behind.

  "It doesn’t really matter what we think. It’s already happening."—Morgan [16:53]

• Teaching Black Creatives: Willonius describes his organization, AI in the Culture, which helps Black creators upskill in AI through hackathons and workshops.

  "When we touch AI… and fully embrace it… we’re so talented… but a lot of people are intimidated by it."—King Willonius [18:48]

5. The Explosion (and Saturation) of AI-Generated Content (20:02–24:23)

• Historical Context: Morgan draws parallels between the current AI content boom and the era of Black web series, discussing how technological shifts open new spaces.
• Accessibility and Platforms: They note how AI can lower production costs and invite more Black stories into popular children’s content, like Miss Rachel or Gracie’s Corner.
• Barriers to Entry: Major barrier is technical know-how and perceived limitations rather than opportunity or need.

6. Navigating the New Creative Landscape: Tools and Risks (24:23–28:28)

• Highlight on AI Tools:
  • 11 Labs: Audio AI generation and voice cloning platform, discussed for its creative and market potential.

  "11 Labs… is basically a tool where it’s audio AI generation tool. So you can create your voice, create a professional version of your voice…"—Morgan [24:53]

  • Ethics & Scams: Emphasis on voice cloning scams and the need for “safe words” with family to prevent fraudulent requests.

  "With a tool like 11 labs, you can take 5 seconds or 15 seconds of somebody’s voice and not clone it… use it for, ‘Hey, send me $10,000, I just got kidnapped.’"—King Willonius [27:03–27:28]

7. Willonius’ Essential AI Tech Stack (28:28–34:05)

• Day-to-Day Tools:
  • ChatGPT: For ideation, research, and content drafting.
  • MidJourney: For image generation.
  • Claude, Grok, Perplexity: Supplemental large language models.
  • "You need a large language model the same way you would have your cell phone. The same way you have a Gmail."—King Willonius [29:26]
• Image Tools: Midjourney and Kria for visual content. Recommends masterclass approach for best results.
• Audio Tools:
  • Adobe Podcast: Cleans and enhances audio effortlessly ("…you can take like, I record audio from my phone and then upload it… it cleans it up…").
  • Notebook LM: For summarizing documents and creating interactive audio explainer podcasts.
• Community and Collaboration: Advocates finding an AI mentor or community to keep up with rapid advancements.

8. Monetization as an AI Creative (34:05–37:10)

• Income Streams:
  • Content creation leads to consulting, speaking engagements, freelance commissions, and more.
  • Consistency and volume are key: "The more you create, the more opportunities you create for yourself."

  "Everybody wants to go viral… but… just consistency is the key."—King Willonius [35:58]

  • AI assists Morgan in syndicating content across platforms, and supporting her new Substack newsletter.

9. Custom AI Workflows & Final Projects (37:10–40:00)

• Morgan’s Personal GPTs: Special “coach” and “co-parent” GPTs manage career and family advice, tailored to personal needs.
• King Willonius’ Current Big Project:
  • "BBL Drizzy: The Musical"—an ambitious planetarium experience he describes as a ‘Black ass story’ aiming to bring Black narratives into nontraditional spaces.

  "I kind of want to be the Tyler Perry of… [planetariums]"—King Willonius [39:16]

Notable Quotes & Highlights

• On the BBL Drizzy phenomenon:

  "He [Rick Ross] made it a hotline, I made it a hot song."—King Willonius [05:35]

• On embracing AI as a tool:

  "This is the most creative moment I’ve ever had in my life… I feel completely limitless in what I can do."—King Willonius [23:19]

• On Black representation in AI-generated children's content:

  "We’ve got Ms. Houston, Ms. Monica, but I can count the Black versions of it on my hand."—Morgan [23:12]

• Advice for creators:

  "Once people… learn these tools, they’ll be like, wow, anything I can imagine, I can actually create… you’re going to see eventually this explosion."—King Willonius [23:53]

• On staying current in AI:

  "You go a week without seeing what’s happening, you like, it’s so much that happens in a week."—King Willonius [31:59]

Resource Timestamps

| Segment | Topic | Timestamp | |------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|:--------------:| | Beginnings & Viral Story | BBL Drizzy creation, writer’s strike | 00:00–05:28 | | AI for Creativity | Mastery, speed, and AI myths | 07:26–09:23 | | Art Value Ethics | Pricing, subjective worth, AI in the industry | 10:06–14:38 | | Black Creatives / AI Culture | Inclusion, participation, teaching AI | 16:53–19:42 | | Saturation | Web series, platform potential | 20:02–24:23 | | Tools & Risks | 11 Labs, scams, security tips | 24:23–28:28 | | Creative Tech Stack | Key AI tools, workflows, tips | 28:28–34:05 | | Monetization | Revenue, consistency, volume | 34:05–37:10 | | Personal AI Workflows | GPTs for life, BBL Drizzy Musical | 37:10–40:00 |

Conclusion & Call to Action

The episode concludes with an invitation to embrace AI as a creative ally and tool for empowerment—especially for Black creatives—while staying vigilant about both opportunities and risks. King Willonius promotes his ongoing daily AI music/art challenge and encourages listeners to connect with him online. Morgan reminds the audience that human ingenuity remains the source of all creative breakthroughs, and AI is here to amplify, not replace, the vision.

Where to follow King Willonius:

• kingwillonius.com
• Instagram & YouTube: @kingwillonius
• AI in the Culture community

Morgan DeBaun:

• Blavity.com
• Substack: (link referenced in the episode)

Final thought:

"AI can be your friend. It can be your tool. It can help you get to the next level. It’s never going to fix all your problems. It all starts with you, human." —Morgan DeBaun [40:39]

This summary was crafted to capture the energy, expertise, and candor of the episode while distilling technical and philosophical takeaways for all aspiring AI creatives.