The Amazon Echo Dot featuring Alexa is now officially the star of a brand new rap music video. A two-man English hip-hop duo named Too Many Ts has presented the newest demo video which not only features their Echo Dot with Alexa, but also suggests that people watching can have their own device sing, or rap, along with the song.
While the Amazon Echo devices are known for answering questions, handling requests, giving information, and playing music, it appears Alexa can also participate in a hip-hop session. That’s what one rap group has demonstrated. The report from TechCrunch ‘s Sarah Perez showcases the group Too Many T’s as they discuss the net worth of Kanye West and then show off Alexa’s autotune skill. From there, the group launches into a performance of a quick hip-hop song and gives a demo of how Alexa can participate in it.
After the performance has ended, the English rap group suggests that viewers go set their own Echo with Alexa up nearby to be part of the hip-hop track. The full video (below) shows off the creative interaction that the group has arranged using the voice assistant technology. For some reason, the group chose to bring in a human DJ for their own beat, rather than enlisting a second Echo device.
Rap duo @TooManyTs perform a track with a little help from @amazonecho’s #Alexa https://t.co/aJjqY6uipX pic.twitter.com/6LbEhPRNcI
— The Unheard Nerd (@TheUnheardNerd) March 20, 2018
While the demo video uses the Amazon Echo Dot, it’s possible to use a nearby Echo, Spot, Show, or any other devices which have Alexa built-in and listening. The Dot is the smallest and most portable of the bunch, making it easy to set up near a laptop’s speakers. However, as long as the Echo device is near enough and the sound on the laptop is loud enough for it to pick up, it should work fine.
The Amazon Alexa also features a number of Alexa Skills that already involve hip-hop in various ways. For example, a “Rap Battle” skill was created for owners to participate in, as well as a “Give Me a Beat!” skill that provides background beats to freestyle over. Echo owners can also enable skills to provide random rap quotes, rap facts, as well as a “Rap Name Generator” for those individuals who need to get their hip-hop career underway.
